Nature conservation work has come a long way in just over a century. In the 19th century, species were grouped into useful and harmful ones. Protection, which was beginning to be enshrined in laws and international treaties, was only extended to the useful species. Nuisances such as lions and bears were unflinchingly earmarked for destruction. Since the foundation of the International Union for...

I consider the many ways in which evolved information-Wows are restricted and metabolic resources protected and hidden – the thesis of living phenomena as evolutionary cryptosystems. I present the information theory of secrecy systems and discuss mechanisms acquired by evolved lineages that encrypt sensitive heritable information with random keys. I propose that complexity science be considered...

At the base level of creative practice, artists often reap inspiration from their surroundings. Writers might eavesdrop on a conversation in a coffee shop and then use it in a novel, and a composer might transform sounds from his urban environment into an orchestral work. In Kelly Lanphier’s case, working at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, early on created a substantial i...