Evolution and Computation

John Mayfield is Emeritus Professor of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology at Iowa State and former associate dean of the Graduate College. His new book, The Engine of Complexity, Evolution as Computation, grew out of his interest in the relationship between computation and biological process. It is a new approach to understanding how evolution works based on information theory and computational science. He will discuss how general concepts of computational evolution can help explain not only how life is possible but also how human technology and the complex outcomes of human society are possible.