Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-226) and index.

The Web and life -- The spectrum of complexity -- The importance of discreteness and symmetry in systems -- Natural structures for man-made machines-curvature in information and computation -- Positional information and scale-free networks -- Evolution through engineering -- A less-than-simple matter of boundless organics -- Emergent intelligence and posthuman concepts -- The physics of information and computing -- Counter arguments -- Objective opinions -- Appendix A: An outline of the semantic Web and its potential for software engineering -- Appendix B: Beyond the semantic Web.

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The central thesis of The Web's Awake is that the phenomenal growth and complexity of the web is beginning to outstrip our capability to control it directly. Many have worked on the concept of emergent properties within highly complex systems, concentrating heavily on the underlying mechanics concerned. Few, however, have studied the fundamentals involved from a sociotechnical perspective. In short, the virtual anatomy of the Web remains relatively uninvestigated. The Web's Awake attempts to seriously explore this gap, citing a number of provocative, yet objective, similarities from studies relating to both real world and digital systems. It presents a collage of interlinked facts, assertions, and coincidences, which boldly point to a Web with powerful potential for life.

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Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Description based on PDF viewed 12/19/2015.