Search results for ""Author Andreas Wagner""

Life innovates constantly, producing perfectly adapted species – but there’s a catch. A TIMES AND TELEGRAPH BEST BOOK OF 2023 'Hopeful and fascinating.' THE TIMES Many animals and plants eke out seemingly unremarkable lives. Passive, constrained, modest, threatened. Then, in a blink of evolutionary time, they flourish spectacularly. Once we start to look, these ‘sleeping beauties’ crop up everywhere. But why? Looking at the book of life, from apex predators to keystone crops, and informed by his own cutting-edge experiments, renowned scientist Andreas Wagner demonstrates that innovations can come frequently and cheaply to nature, well before they are needed. We have found prehistoric bacteria that harbour the remarkable ability to fight off 21st-century antibiotics. And human history fits the pattern too, as life-changing technologies are invented only to be forgotten, languishing in the shadows before they finally take off. In probing the mysteries of these sleeping beauties, Wagner reveals a crucial part of nature’s rich and strange tapestry.

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Darwin’s theory of natural selection was a monumental step in our understanding of evolution, explaining how useful adaptations are preserved over generations. However, Darwin’s great idea didn’t – and couldn’t – tell us how those adaptations arise in the first place. On its own, can random mutation really be responsible for all the creative marvels in nature? Renowned evolutionary biologist Andreas Wagner presents the missing piece of Darwin’s theory. Using cutting-edge experimental technologies, he has found that adaptations are driven by a set of laws which allow nature to discover new molecules and mechanisms in a fraction of the time that random variation would take. Meticulously researched, carefully argued, and full of fascinating examples from the animal kingdom, Arrival of the Fittest signals an end to the mystery of life’s rich diversity.

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All living things are remarkably complex, yet their DNA is unstable, undergoing countless random mutations over generations. Despite this instability, most animals do not grow two heads or die, plants continue to thrive, and bacteria continue to divide. Robustness and Evolvability in Living Systems tackles this perplexing paradox. The book explores why genetic changes do not cause organisms to fail catastrophically and how evolution shapes organisms' robustness. Andreas Wagner looks at this problem from the ground up, starting with the alphabet of DNA, the genetic code, RNA, and protein molecules, moving on to genetic networks and embryonic development, and working his way up to whole organisms. He then develops an evolutionary explanation for robustness. Wagner shows how evolution by natural selection preferentially finds and favors robust solutions to the problems organisms face in surviving and reproducing. Such robustness, he argues, also enhances the potential for future evolutionary innovation. Wagner also argues that robustness has less to do with organisms having plenty of spare parts (the redundancy theory that has been popular) and more to do with the reality that mutations can change organisms in ways that do not substantively affect their fitness. Unparalleled in its field, this book offers the most detailed analysis available of all facets of robustness within organisms. It will appeal not only to biologists but also to engineers interested in the design of robust systems and to social scientists concerned with robustness in human communities and populations.

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For readers of Hofstadter’s Gödel, Escher, Bach, a fascinating look at the hidden meaning in matter What can a fingernail tell us about the mysteries of creation? In one sense, a nail is merely a hunk of mute matter, yet in another, it’s an information superhighway quite literally at our fingertips. Every moment, streams of molecular signals direct our cells to move, flatten, swell, shrink, divide, or die. Andreas Wagner’s ambitious new book explores this hidden web of unimaginably complex interactions in every living being. In the process, he unveils a host of paradoxes underpinning our understanding of modern biology, contradictions he considers gatekeepers at the frontiers of knowledge.Though we tend to think of concepts in such mutually exclusive pairs as mind-matter, self-other, and nature-nurture, Wagner argues that these opposing ideas are not actually separate. Indeed, they are as inextricably connected as the two sides of a coin. Through a tour of modern biological marvels, Wagner illustrates how this paradoxical tension has a profound effect on the way we define the world around us. Paradoxical Life is thus not only a unique account of modern biology. It ultimately serves a radical—and optimistic—outlook for humans and the world we help create.

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How can new insights into evolution help us solve problems in life, art, business and science? ‘A wonderful, mind-expanding book. Prepare to be surprised, enlightened and awed.’ Alice Roberts, author of Ancestors In Darwin’s survival of the fittest, each step must be uphill as life progresses towards an evolutionary peak. There is no turning back. So what happens when life needs to cross a valley in the wilds of an adaptive landscape to reach the highest summit? World-renowned biologist Andreas Wagner reveals that life does not only walk – it also leaps. Drawing on pioneering research, Wagner explores life’s creative process and how it bears a striking resemblance to how we humans work. A beguiling symmetry links Picasso struggling through forty versions of Guernica and the way evolution transformed a dinosaur’s claw into a condor’s wing. This new understanding is already revolutionising our approach to problem-solving across the sciences. In the near future, applied in spheres as diverse as the economy and education, it will enable us to do so much more. Life Finds a Way is a thought-provoking and deeply hopeful look at the force that shapes our world.

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Sustainability Sustainability is to become the guiding principle of social action and economic activity. At the same time, its ways and means are far from clear. As a holistic praxis, sustainability must combine technical and material as well as social, economic, ecological and also ethical strategies, which have multiple complex interactions and all too often also conflicting goals and priorities. In no other field can these be better observed, addressed and influenced than in architecture and building. "Building Better – Less – Different" Each volume of "Building Better – Less – Different" details two fundamental areas of sustainability and explores their specific dynamics and interactions. After introductory overviews, innovative methods and current developments are described and analysed in in-depth essays, international case studies and pointed commentaries. The sustainability criteria of efficiency ("better"), sufficiency ("less") and consistency ("different") form the framework for each book. What the press say about the first volume"Circular Construction and Circular Economy" "The articles, case studies and commentaries in this book make a major contribution to advancing the current discourse on implementing circular-based economic models in the building sector." Hessian Chamber of Architects, book reviews "To think of tomorrow when building today is the core message that Dirk E. Hebel and Felix Heisel want to convey to their readers. … And they also show us how: with the help of relevant examples, grouped under the headings ‘better’, ‘less’ and ‘different’, they demonstrate concrete applications and argue that circular construction can also benefit the construction industry…" architektur aktuell Clean energy transition It has long been common knowledge that energy and sustainability are closely interlinked. And yet we are witnessing a profound shift in the sector. While the earlier focus was on improving energy efficiency and increasing the proportion of renewable energy in buildings, current energy conservation policies are supporting a broader, more holistic view. This encompasses integral approaches in which building design and construction measures form part of the energy concept from the outset, as well as accounting for grey energy in building materials and a holistic evaluation of buildings over their entire life cycle. For the energy-intensive and emission-producing building sector, climate change presents an even greater challenge than conserving resources. How can we contribute to a shift in heating strategies and employ new technologies to achieve climate-neutral heating? How can we respond to rising temperatures and the risk of increased energy consumption for cooling? Can low-tech concepts help to reduce the environmental impact of buildings over their life cycle? Shouldn’t we take greater account of the users of buildings, and do we need completely different energy supply strategies? Digital Transformation At a time of natural ubiquity of digital tools, widely adopted to streamline project delivery in architecture, the foundations have been laid for a profound transformation of the construction industry to address the climate crisis. Digital architectural design and construction methods can be used as enabling technologies for a fundamental change towards a circular construction approach with significantly reduced ecological and climate impact. This approach comprises a digital reinterpretation of natural building materials through digital construction technologies. Digital deconstruction and reuse strategies can transform the existing building stock into resources for the future. Mass customization of tailor-made building components minimizes resource consumption. Architects, in their emerging role as interdisciplinary interface and digital master builders, reunite design and making through digital craft. Finally, the book provides a glimpse into the potential future of construction, which might be characterized by fundamentally different concepts of design and materialization of our built environment, challenging current paradigms within our discipline.

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Nachhaltigkeit ist heute zur alles übergreifenden Leitlinie gesellschaftlichen Handelns geworden, doch zugleich sind ihre Mittel und Wege alles andere als eindeutig klar. Aus ihrem ganzheitlichen Verständnis heraus muss Nachhaltigkeit technisch-materielle, soziale, ökonomische, ökologische als auch ethische Strategien vereinen, zwischen denen es komplexe Wechselwirkungen und oft genug auch Ziel- und Prioritätskonflikte gibt. In keinem anderen Bereich lassen sich diese Zusammenhänge besser verstehen, darstellen und beeinflussen als im Bauwesen. „Besser – Weniger – Anders Bauen" greift in jedem Band zwei Bereiche von Nachhaltigkeit auf, deren Wechselwirkungen besonders wichtig und zugleich besonders gut zu erfassen sind. Nach einführenden Überblicksdarstellungen werden für jeden Bereich etablierte Methoden, aktuelle Entwicklungen und akute Konfliktfelder beschrieben, analysiert und an internationalen Fallbeispielen im Detail dargestellt. Dies geschieht anhand der Nachhaltigkeitskriterien von Effizienz („besser"), Suffizienz („weniger") und Konsistenz („anders"). Stimmen zum ersten Band„Kreislaufgerechtes Bauen und Kreislaufwirtschaft" „Die Beiträge, Fallstudien und Kommentare helfen, die Diskussion zur Umsetzung kreislaufbasierter Wirtschaftsmodelle im Baubereich voranzutreiben." Architektenkammer Hessen, Fachliteratur „Beim Bauen von Neuem bereits das Morgen mitdenken ist einer der zentralen Denkanstöße, die Dirk E. Hebel und Felix Heisel in ihrem Buch den LeserInnen mit auf den Weg geben. … Wie das gehen kann, wird unter den Vorzeichen ‚Besser‘, ‚Weniger‘ und ‚Anders‘ anschaulich anhand konkreter Beispiele vorgeführt, nicht zuletzt auch der Aspekt, wie kreislaufgerechtes Bauen als Mehrwert für die Bauwirtschaft funktionieren könnte …" architektur aktuell Energiewende Als selbstverständlich erscheint die schon lange bestehende Verbindung zwischen Nachhaltigkeit und Energie. Und doch vollzieht sich darin gerade ein tiefgreifender Wandel. Ging es bisher in erster Linie um Energieeffizienz und den Anteil erneuerbarer Energieträger am Gebäude, so unterstützen nun politische Vorgaben zum Energieverbrauch eine ganzheitlichere Betrachtung. Diese beginnt mit integralen Ansätzen, bei denen der Gebäudeentwurf und konstruktive Maßnahmen bereits Teil des Energiekonzepts werden, und führt über die Erfassung der grauen Energie in Baumaterialien bis zur ganzheitlichen Bewertung von Gebäuden über deren gesamten Lebenszyklus. Noch stärker als die Ressourcenfrage stellt heute der Klimawandel die Hauptherausforderung für den energiehungrigen und emissionsintensiven Sektor Gebäude dar. Wie können wir die Wärmewende besser gestalten und mit verbesserten technologischen Ansätzen klimaneutral heizen? Wie begegnen wir den steigenden Temperaturen und der Gefahr eines damit zunehmenden Energieverbrauchs zum Kühlen? Ist auch mit einfacheren Gesamtkonzepten eine geringere Umweltbelastung von Gebäuden über den gesamten Lebenszyklus zu erreichen? Müssen nicht die Nutzer von Gebäuden stärker berücksichtigt werden, und braucht es ganz andere Energieversorgungsstrategien? Digitale Transformation Digitale Werkzeuge sind heute allgegenwärtig und werden weithin für eine effizientere Projektentwicklung in der Architektur eingesetzt. Damit ist der Grundstein für eine tiefgreifende Transformation der Baubranche zur Bewältigung der Klimakrise gelegt. Digitale architektonische Entwurfs- und Konstruktionsmethoden lassen sich als Basistechnologien für einen grundlegenden Wandel hin zu einem kreislauforientierten Bauwesen mit deutlich geringeren Auswirkungen auf Umwelt und Klima nutzen. Dazu gehört eine digitale Neuinterpretation natürlicher Baustoffe mittels digitaler Bautechnologien. Mithilfe digitaler Rückbau- und Wiederverwendungsstrategien lässt sich der Gebäudebestand in Ressourcen für die Zukunft verwandeln. Die Massenindividualisierung maßgeschneiderter Bauteile minimiert den Ressourcenverbrauch. In ihrer neuen Rolle als interdisziplinäre Vermittler und digitale Baumeister vereinen Architekten Entwurf und Fertigung durch digitale Expertise. Darüber hinaus gibt das Buch Einblicke in die mögliche Zukunft des Bauens, in der grundlegend andere Konzepte von Gestaltung und Materialisierung unserer gebauten Umwelt die jetzt herrschenden Paradigmen unserer Fachdisziplin in Frage stellen.

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