Tierra was the first thing that came to my mind, too. I'd already played with "Core War" [0] when I learned about Tierra. I so badly wanted to implement something like Tierra myself. I couldn't wrap my head around how I could identify the metes and bounds of a given "organism" to isolate it from the rest of the "soup".

At the time I learned about Tierra I didn't have a way to get at any of Ray's papers or code. Now I do, but I'd kinda forgotten about it. I really should revisit it. There's probably a lot of fun to be had there.

Aside: Steven Levy's "Artificial Life"[1] was where I learned about Tierra. That book, along with Levy's "Hackers"[2], and Gleick's "Chaos"[3] were formative books for young me.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_War

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Life-Frontier-Computers-Bi...

[2] https://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Computer-Revolution-Steven-Le...

[3] https://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Making-Science-James-Gleick/dp/...

James Gleick‘s “Chaos”[0] (history of chaos theory) and “The Information”[1] (history of information theory) are so beautifully and artfully written you might forget they’re technical. As close as (history of) science writing comes to poetry.

A lot drier but top marks for clarity: “Linear Algebra Done Right” by Axler.[2] It got me through both undergraduate and PhD math degrees. When something was confusing in a lecture or another textbook, I could always return to Axler for the most direct path from ignorance to understanding.

[0]: https://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Making-Science-James-Gleick/dp/... [1]: https://www.amazon.com/Information-History-Theory-Flood/dp/1... [2]: https://linear.axler.net/

It sure does sound like it. But if you want to put some substance behind your thoughts, I recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Making-Science-James-Gleick/dp/...

I remember being blown away by this book as a teen: James Gleick - Chaos: Making a New Science https://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Making-Science-James-Gleick/dp/...

1. Chaos: Making a New Science [ http://amzn.to/1fbmC73 ] still makes an awesome read despite its age.

2. Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers [ http://amzn.to/1kFszdH ] - great book on stress and its effects by Robert Sapolsky (have you seen his lectures on behavioural biology? Fascinating stuff, even if you always thought 'meh, biology' - the guy is an amazing lecturer)

"Consider Phlebas"

http://www.amazon.com/dp/031600538X

"Chaos: Making a New Science"

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0143113453

"The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail — but Some Don't"

http://www.amazon.com/dp/159420411X

Many of the scientists involved in the genesis of chaos theory were active in multiple disciplines, notably meteorology. It's a central theme in James Gleick's Chaos: Making a New Science[1]. It's a fascinating book, and would be a great read if you were tickled by the article.

[1] http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chaos-Making-Science-James-Gleick/dp...