Robertson (geological and environmental sciences, U. of Colorado) believes that science and mathematics have much more organization and structure than does the rest of civilization. This structure can be utilized to explore the effects of information explosions in science and mathematics. The author defines some of this structure using Kuhn's concept of paradigm shift, and then describes examples of both phase changes and paradigm shifts in a variety of scientific disciplines (astronomy, biology, physics, mathematics, earth sciences, meteorology). Written at a level accessible to a talented and motivated undergraduate. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Robertson's earlier work, The New Renaissance projected the likely future impact of computers in changing our culture. Phase Change builds on and deepens his assessment of the role of the computer as a tool driving profound change by examining the role of computers in changing the face of the sciences and mathematics. He shows that paradigm shifts in understanding in science have generally been triggered by the availability of new tools, allowing the investigator a new way of seeing into questions that had not earlier been amenable to scientific probing.
