Chapter 1
IN THIS LESSON
Simple programs can have complex behavior.
At the heart of Wolfram’s work in biology is the idea that simple programs can have complex behavior, and therefore can be excellent models for biological systems. In this lesson, we look at the story of how Stephen Wolfram came to this idea.
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Stephen Wolfram (2023), "A 50-Year Quest: My Personal Journey with the Second Law of Thermodynamics," Stephen Wolfram Writings. writings.stephenwolfram.com/2023/02/a-50-year-quest-my-personal-journey-with-the-second-law-of-thermodynamics.
Stephen Wolfram (2011), "The Background and Vision of Mathematica," Stephen Wolfram Writings. writings.stephenwolfram.com/2011/10/the-background-and-vision-of-mathematica.
Stephen Wolfram (2002) "New Kind of Science", https://www.wolframscience.com/nks/
Stephen Wolfram (2025), "Towards a Computational Formalization for Foundations of Medicine," Stephen Wolfram Writings. writings.stephenwolfram.com/2025/02/towards-a-computational-formalization-for-foundations-of-medicine.
https://www.wolframscience.com/nks/p383--fundamental-issues-in-biology/
Willem Nielsen (2025) “Nature’s Compass: A Visual Exploration of Hierarchy in Biology and Beyond” https://wolframinstitute.org/output/natures-compass-a-visual-exploration-of-hierarchy-in-biology-and-beyond