The physical sciences and mathematics are extraordinarily useful in explaining the material world. People and society are constrained by physical reality, but we are often unclear on what constraints are absolute, which may be relative, and those that are simply a matter of taste. Bandwidth explains how limitations in the movement and perception of information constrain human behavior, cognition, interaction, and perspective. How fast can we learn? How much? Why are habits and biases unavoidable? Why is the common statement 'any nation that can land people on the moon surely can ...' frequently wrong? Using equations and physical models, Bandwidth describes constraints which, in part, explain political, economic, religious, and personal frictions. Aspects considered include: how much information can one human absorb in a lifetime? How far does a process of perturbation propagate? How do specialization or generalization, critical thinking or belief, influence what people accomplish? Throughout, equations are used to compactly express ideas, illustrating why mathematical economy of expression accelerates communication and deeper understanding. The critical impacts of uncertainty, fluctuations, or noise, and their implications for law and society, are emphasized.

Contents:

• Foreword


• Preface and Acknowledgements


• About the Author


• List of Variables


• Spoiler Alert


• Measurement


• Correlation vs. Causation


• Noise


• Signal


• Uncertainty — Quantum and Classical


• Sampling


• Bandwidth


• Detection Limit


• Dynamic Range


• Potential Wells


• Nonlinearity, Complexity, Chaos


• Markov Processes and Renormalization


• Neural Networks


• Qualitative, Quantitative, Triage


• Doug Hofstadter Got It Right: the Gödel Theorem


• Mental Zoom Lens


• Theology and Religion


• Politics, Business, and Law in Light of Mathematical Concepts


• Research and Freedom in Light of Mathematical Concepts


• Appendix 1 Laser Pointer/Drinking Glass Colorimeter


• Appendix 2 Human Relationships as an Iterated Map


• Appendix 3 Calculus in Five Pages


• Notes and Literature Citations


• Index

Readership: This book is aimed at general readers and scientists with an interest in how limitations of the physical sciences affect society and human behavior. It could be used for undergraduate courses in analytical chemistry, communications engineering, statistical mechanics and nonlinear physics, and is also appropriate for seminars in sociology, theology, politics, economics and law.

Key Features:

• Discusses how limitations in science affect human behavior and society. For instance, electrical engineering, statistical mechanics, and number theory are shown to have political and personal application. Links among thermodynamics, sociology, and environmentalism are also drawn


• Includes equations to equip readers to see for themselves how various physical limitations force certain societal behaviors, and how behavioral changes might affect society and over what timeframe


• Shows how to identify hard limits vs. unconstrained choices