Puppets Without Strings (Science For Everyone) by V. I. Varshavsky, D. A. Pospelov

Paradoxes in the evolution of technological systems. Who designed the global telephone and communication network? The whole is the sum of the parts plus their interactions. Is a simple data register really simple? Automata exploring unknown worlds. Optimum or expediency? Random interactions and information exchange. Daydreaming and cynical automata. “I thought he thought I thought he. .. .” Heterogeneity in a group of automata is a key to success. Are we haunted by the ghost of Erehwon City? Puppets without strings: who is the puppeteer? Boundaries of centralization. How do systems evolve?
A fresh look at design. Evolution goes on.