The Dynamics of Ambiguity

By using the concept of broken symmetries, this book enlightens the similarities between the process of creation of an art work and of a scientific theory, as well as the similarity between the process of perception and measurement. It also explains why sciences and arts have in common the feature of universality.

A fascinating topic! A fascinating book! Quite often, science and art are considered as the "two cultures" dividing our society into two separate groups. However, important phenomena in science and art have a common root. By using the concept of broken symmetries, the author enlightens the similarities between the process of creation of an art work and of a scientific theory, as well as the similarity between the process of perception and measurement. Symmetry is a no-change as the outcome of a change. In order to obtain information, the symmetry of an initially balanced system must be broken. The consequence is ambiguity, the critical point of any dynamical instability. Here the world of physics and emotional and rational spheres match. The dynamics of perception (the transformation leading to a choice) involve well-known physical phenomena like symmetry, entropy and others. Many illustrations and a strict ratio between popular inserts and technical chapters make this a scintillating book explaining why sciences and arts have in common the feature of universality.