Design in Nature: How the Constructal Law Governs Evolution in Biology, Physics, Technology, and Social Organization
When lightning flashes in the sky, showing off its characteristic pattern of zigzagging veins, it’s not hard to see its resemblance to branching trees or waterway tributaries. It’s also easy to assume those similarities are purely visual because these patterns occur in such different realms of nature. Yet according to veteran mechanical engineer and Duke University professor Bejan, these recurring shapes and structures obey a fundamental principle of physics known as the constructal law. Put simply, this law asserts that all things that live or move, from ants and animal herds to rivers and electric currents, persist and evolve according to their ability to facilitate flow. In this lucidly written overview of the constructal law, Bejan, with journalist Zane, describes all the circumstances and ways this law operates in the world, including blood vessels and man-made cooling systems. The authors’ language is never too abstract for the lay reader to easily grasp, and the insights offered here present a revolutionary, unifying vision of nature that could impact all branches of science. --Carl Hays