Design in Nature: How the Constructal Law Governs Evolution in Biology, Physics, Technology, and Social OrganizationIn this groundbreaking book, Adrian Bejan takes the recurring patterns in nature—trees, tributaries, air passages, neural networks, and lightning bolts—and reveals how a single principle of physics, the Constructal Law, accounts for the evolution of these and all other designs in our world. Everything—from biological life to inanimate systems—generates shape and structure and evolves in a sequence of ever-improving designs in order to facilitate flow. River basins, cardiovascular systems, and bolts of lightning are very efficient flow systems to move a current—of water, blood, or electricity. Likewise, the more complex architecture of animals evolve to cover greater distance per unit of useful energy, or increase their flow across the land. Such designs also appear in human organizations, like the hierarchical "flowcharts" or reporting structures in corporations and political bodies. All are governed by the same principle, known as the Constructal Law, and configure and reconfigure themselves over time to flow more efficiently. Written in an easy style that achieves clarity without sacrificing complexity, Design in Nature is a paradigm-shifting book that will fundamentally transform our understanding of the world around us. |
Other editions - View all
Design in Nature: How the Constructal Law Governs Evolution in Biology ... Adrian Bejan,J. Peder Zane No preview available - 2013 |
Design in Nature: How the Constructal Law Governs Evolution in Biology ... Adrian Bejan,J. Peder Zane No preview available - 2012 |
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Adrian Bejan airport animal design animal locomotion animal mass athletes Atlanta airport basketball biological birds blood vessels body mass branches centers of mass chapter circulatory system complex configuration constructal law predicts Constructal Theory create currents design in nature distribution Earth efficient emerge energy engines entropy everything evolution evolutionary evolving design example exergy facilitate flow facilitate the flow faster Figure fish flow access flow architecture flow design flow network flow systems forest global flow globe golden ratio governed ground Heat and Mass hierarchy horizontal human ideas inanimate International Journal Journal of Design laminar flow landscape larger lightning bolts log-log graph Lorente main channel Mass Transfer morphing move more easily movement multiscale natural design Nature and Ecodynamics organisms pattern phenomena phenomenon physics principle rankings resistance river basin rivulets scale shape and structure smaller speed streams swimmers swimming tendency thermodynamics things tree tree-shaped trunk University