A massive book that became an unlikely bestseller, linking the mathematician kurt godel, the visual artist m. Mar 30, 2000 twenty years after it topped the bestseller charts, douglas r hofstadters godel, escher, bach. Douglas hofstadter born 1945 is a computer scientist and author. Dec 02, 2012 sir roger penrose, aeons before the big bang copernicus center lecture 2010 duration. However, according to hofstadter, the formal system that underlies all mental activity transcends the system that supports it. Godel, escher, bach is a great examination of spellbinding contemplations at the center of mental science. An eternal golden braid pdf is still a miracle today, although it has been on the bestseller list for more than 20 years. By exploring common themes in the lives and works of logician kurt godel, artist m. Twenty years after it topped the bestseller charts, douglas r. However, according to hofstadter, the formal system. An eternal golden braid it is extremely interesting, then, to think about the meaning of the word form as it. Feb 04, 2018 douglas hofstadter ar mest kand som forfattare till godel, escher, bach.
An eternal golden braid is a 1979 book by douglas hofstadter. Douglas hofstadters book is concerned directly with the nature of maps or links between formal systems. For hofstadter, consciousness emerge as what he calls a strange loop. An eternal golden braid, it was a rambling 777page magnum opus crowded with dense diagrams about feedback loops, witty parables about knowledge, and intellectual puns.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 822 pages and is available in paperback format. Douglas richard hofstadter born february 15, 1945 is an american professor of cognitive science whose research focuses on the sense of i, consciousness, analogymaking, artistic creation, literary translation, and discovery in mathematics and physics. Questing for the essence of mind and pattern, the information. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
An eternal golden braid, which would earn for hofstadteronly 35. A collection of hofstadters monthly columns for scientific american from 19811983, with additional commentary, and previously unpublished dialogs and essays on the mind, the brain, the rubiks cube, the prisoners dilemma, etc. The field of artificial intelligence may finally be coming back around to douglas hofstadter. Douglas richard hofstadter born february 15, 1945 is an american scholar of cognitive science, physics, and comparative literature whose research includes concepts such as the sense of self in relation to the external world, consciousness, analogymaking, artistic creation, literary translation, and discovery in mathematics and physics. Douglas hofstadter is in a grocery store in bloomington, indiana, picking out salad ingredients. An eternal golden braid by hofstadter, douglas and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. His works are then fed through a machine learning process created by computational artist parag k mital, which uses the data in bachs writing to compose a piece of.
And, less seriously, there is at least one instance of explicit self referernce in bachs work. It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account hofstadters law, and meaning lies as much in the mind of the reader as in the haiku. For example, one dialogue has the form of a canon cancrizans, which is the same when read forward or backward. An examination of the historical roots of contemporary criminal justice in the u. Pdf godel, escher, bach an eternal golden braid 20th. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Hofstadter overview this groundbreaking pulitzer prizewinning book sets the standard for interdisciplinary writing, exploring the patterns and symbols in the thinking of mathematician kurt godel, artist m. Godel, escher, bach an eternal golden braid douglas r. The man who would teach machines to think the atlantic. Godel, escher, bach an eternal golden braid 20th anniversary edition by douglas r.
Douglas hofstadter would not argue that awareness of the underlying mathematics contributes much to appreciation of the music, but the music does illuminate the math. An eternal golden braid is still something of a marvel. If life can grow out of the formal chemical substrate of the cell, if consciousness can emerge out of a formal. If life can grow out of the formal chemical substrate of the. Douglas hofstadter excerpts from hofstadters books. Escher, and composer johann sebastian bach, the book expounds concepts fundamental to mathematics, symmetry, and intelligence. Begins with a remarkable threetiered or trichunked, or drilldown. An eternal golden braid, first published in 1979, won both the pulitzer prize for general nonfiction and a. It also deals with the subject of self, though it approaches it from a. To accompany each expository chapter, the author has provided a whimsical dialogue cast in the form of a bach composition. Winner of the pulitzer prizea metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of lewis. He exemplifies this by providing examples of loops in backs music, eschers sketches, and godels theorems. Besides being a profound and entertaining meditation on human thought and creativity, this book looks at the surprising points of contact between.
He has won a pulitzer prize sourced quotes which statement seems more true. Later in life, he discovered a latent love for geometries of many types, and a special delight in. The first edition of the novel was published in 1979, and was written by douglas r. Irrationality is the square root of all evil sep, 1983 scientific american 249 3 article reprinted in metamagical themas 1985 which statement seems more true. Before each of gebs twenty chapters, hofstadter includes a dialogue, in which achilles, the tortoise, and their company discuss various aspects that will later be examined by the author in the chapter to follow. Besides being a profound and entertaining meditation on human thought and creativity, this book looks at the surprising points of contact between the music of bach, the artwork of escher, and the mathematics of godel. Sep 21, 2011 godel, escher, bach is easily my favourite book, and has been for the thirtyodd years since i first read it. Amazon price new from used from hardcover please retry. The main characters of this science, non fiction story are. Eternal golden braid 20th anniversary ed hofstadter, douglas r. Douglas hofstadter born february 15, 1945 is a mathematician, cognitive scientist, and pulitzer prize winning author. This book contains a lot of different perspectives on the problem so if you are interested in a more concise reading for this philosophy, you may want to read i am.
Noted cognitive scientist asserts that analogy is almost the whole enchilada. Douglas grew up on the campus of stanford university, where his father was a professor. Douglas hofstadter, professor of computer and cognitive science at indiana university, argued for the central. Copernicus center for interdisciplinary studies 260,730 views. Douglas richard hofstadter born february 15, 1945 in new york, new york is an american academic. That question has hounded me ever since i was scribbling its first drafts in pen, way back in 1973. In the early 1960s, douglas hofstadter majored in mathematics at stanford, and it was his passion for number theory and logic that led him eventually to writing the book for which he is best known, godel, escher, bach. Douglas hofstadter s book is concerned directly with the nature of maps or links between formal systems.
An eternal golden braid, first published in 1979, won both the pulitzer prize for general nonfiction and a national book award at that time called the american book award for science. Escher, and the composer johann sebastian bach, and finding symmetries and connections in their works that shed light on cognition, systems. See all 7 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. But douglas hofstadters book is a more ambitious project. Irrationality is the square root of all evil sep, 1983 scientific american 249 3 article reprinted in metamagical themas 1985. In writing those dialogues, hofstadter created a whole new form of art. An eternal golden braid 20th anniversary edition with a new preface by the author 20anniversary ed by hofstadter, douglas r isbn. Hofstadter is the son of nobel prizewinning physicist robert hofstadter. It turns out that an eerie type of chaos can lurk just behind a facade of order and yet, deep inside the chaos lurks an even eerier type of order. An eternal golden braid, also known as geb, is a 1979 book by douglas hofstadter. A history, a theory, a flood, the man who loved only numbers. Douglas hofstadter on why ai is far from intelligent. Noted cognitive scientist asserts that analogy is almost.
Douglas hofstadters book is concerned directly with the nat. Mar 09, 2019 in a prerecorded interview with douglas hofstadter, whose book godel, escher, bach inspired this event, du sautoy posits bach as a musical coder, applying rules to musical material to grow something complex and beautiful. See all 11 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Douglas hofstadter born february 15, 1945 is a mathematician, cognitive scientist, and pulitzer prize winning author quotes. Godel escher bach by hofstadter, first edition abebooks. An eternal golden braid you might like similar books chaos. Douglas hofstadter, the pulitzer prizewinning author of godel, escher.
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