BOOK REVIEW
Adventures of a Computational Explorer
by Stephen Wolfram 2019
About the Author
Stephen Wolfram has had a unique trajectory in science, technology and business. Widely known for his discoveries in basic science and his groundbreaking 2002 book A New Kind of Science, he has spent three decades building what is now the Wolfram Language: the knowledge-based computer language that powers Mathematica and Wolfram|Alpha and has contributed to countless inventions and discoveries, as well as to the education of several generations of students.
Wolfram was born in London and educated at Eton, Oxford and Caltech, earning his PhD in physics in 1979 at the age of 20. After a brief but distinguished academic career, he founded Wolfram Research in 1987 and as CEO has built it into one of the world’s most respected and innovative software companies, whose products are relied on by millions of people around the world.
Adventures of a Computational Explorer is a deep and delightful intellectual odyssey.”
–Brian Greene, Bestselling Author of The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos
About the Book
Through his pioneering work in science, technology and language design, Stephen Wolfram has developed his own signature way of thinking about an impressive range of subjects. In this lively book of essays, Wolfram takes the reader along on some of his most surprising and engaging intellectual adventures.
From science consulting for a Hollywood movie, solving problems of AI ethics, hunting for the source of an unusual polyhedron, communicating with extraterrestrials, to finding the fundamental theory of physics and exploring the digits of pi, Adventures of a Computational Explorer captures the infectious energy and curiosity of one of the great pioneers of the computational world.
From the Back Cover
Through his pioneering work in science, technology and language design, Stephen Wolfram has developed his own signature way of thinking about an impressive range of subjects. In this lively book of essays, Wolfram takes the reader along on some of his most surprising and engaging intellectual adventures. From science consulting for a Hollywood movie, solving problems of AI ethics, hunting for the source of an unusual polyhedron, communicating with extraterrestrials, to finding the fundamental theory of physics and exploring the digits of pi, Adventures of a Computational Explorer captures the infectious energy and curiosity of one of the great pioneers of the computational world.
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Endorsements
“Get inside the head of one of our era’s most creative and influential minds as he explores everything from communicating with extraterrestrial life to finding the fundamental underpinnings of reality. Adventures of a Computational Explorer is a deep and delightful intellectual odyssey.” –Brian Greene, Bestselling Author of The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos
“Stephen Wolfram is a genius. But that’s not the most uncommon of his attributes. He is fiercely and fully independent, in every possible sense of the word. Wolfram does everything, literally everything, on his own terms” –Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Bestselling Author of The Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness
“Across 40 centuries, ‘impudent’ minds were denounced or crushed. Rejoice that we unleash ours! As a brazen theoretician, Stephen Wolfram upended scientific models, then crafted practical tools used by the world’s top innovators. He dives into deep abstractions, then explains them clearly to a fascinated public. Enter, oh impudent explorers!” –David Brin, Author of Hugo- and Nebula Award-Winning Uplift Series
“This tour of Stephen Wolfram’s mind is a jungle journey where ferocious new ideas jump out at you, then charm you. Read it in batches, because the idea density is high and pleasure long.” –Gregory Benford, author of Nebula award-winning Timescape
“Stephen Wolfram has the most brilliant computational mind I have ever encountered. His endless curiosity, breadth of knowledge, and attention to detail, are truly astonishing. ‘Adventures’ is a wild ride down the Rabbit Hole.” –Nova Spivack, Chairman, Arch Mission Foundation
“Stephen Wolfram is one of the remarkable scientists and technologists of our time, a physicist who went deep into computing, first as a means to an end creating computing tools, and then as a fundamental way to understand our universe. In Adventures of a Computational Explorer, he shares episodes of his journey, written in his characteristically direct and engaging style.”–Nathan Myhrvold, Founder and CEO of Intellectual Ventures
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