Review
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Nature
“A book on robotics by a marine biologist sounds a bit fishy, but Darwin's Devices is anything but. John Long takes us
on a journey through the wonderful, oceanic world of research on the evolution of the vertebrae of extinct species.
Long's work is innovative because of his use—and strong defence—of modelling with physically embodied robots, rather
than the usual software simulations of computational biology.... Long's chatty style made me laugh out loud at times.
But beneath the levity lie robust and sometimes powerful arguments about biomimetics.... [T]his is a sound and
hard-hitting work…. Darwin's Devices represents a step forward in biomimetics. And, cleverly hidden among the
discussions and the humour, gems of scientific philosophy shine.”
Maclean's
“Long's trials, errors and successes should prove enlightening to anyone interested in evolution or the future of
robotics.”
Science News
“Clearly, it's been a labor of love for the author and his scientific collaborators. And through Long's humor and clever
descriptions, readers get a sense of how the design concepts underlying these devices—and other robotic animals—have
evolved.”
Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Long's process of designing the ‘tadros' [tadpole robots] and experiments are fascinating and give unique ins into
high-level science.... Long deciphers [the] unexpected results with a delightful sense of humor and an infectious awe
at, and enthusiasm for, discovery and the elegant mechanisms of evolution. For readers who like serious science, this is
a captivating tour of the marriage of technology and biology.”
New Scientist
“Though [Long] is a gifted storyteller, this is no simple fish tale. The engineering draw of robots is clear, but Long
also emphasises the value for science, showing how robots can serve as physical models of biological organisms; evolving
biorobots can shed light on why organisms evolved as they did; and robot interaction can illustrate coevolutionary
dynamics, as between predators and prey.... With Darwin's Devices, Long reminds us that science is always an adventure,
and that new technology only drives us faster and further into the unknown.”
Boston Globe
“[Long] manages to balance fairly detailed and frequently entertaining accounts of the nuts and bolts of robot research
with occasional forays into big picture, what-does-it-all-mean thinking.... [H]is discussion was both intelligent and
philosophically informed, a rare thing in contemporary science writing.”
Neil Shubin, Professor, University of Chicago, and author of Your Inner Fish
“Robots hold a key to our past, present, and future in John Long's fascinating Darwin's Devices. Telling the story of
the exciting science at the boundary of biology and engineering, Long takes us on a tour of how science is done, how new
ideas emerge, and how ins to ourselves can come from surprising places.”
George V. Lauder, Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University“John Long gives us an engagingly
written and highly personal book that introduces his new approach to understanding the past using evolving robots. His
unique perspective is sure to inspire others and broaden our views on how robots can inform our understanding of
evolution.” David Levy, author of Love and Sex with Robots“John Long weaves a fascinating journey of scientific
exploration which he describes with a highly infectious enthusiasm. Long's field is the creation of autonomous robots
that can teach us about the evolution of animal behaviour—a complex subject which he analyzes and simplifies with great
clarity. Darwin's Devices is a thoroughly stimulating read.”
Steven Vogel, James B. Duke Professor, Duke University
“Whether in laboratory or kitchen, making something always improves your understanding of how it works. In this book,
John Long traces his path toward better understanding the evolution of fish swimming by making robots that swim. His
models quite literally embody the way the process of natural selection acts on performance in seeking food or not
becoming food. It's a personal account of real-world science, complete with the bumps and s, the thickets of
thorns. It's about the way we experimentalists go about things—not always pretty, but highly addictive in the doing and
almost as seductive in the reading.”
Kirkus Reviews
“Lively and intriguing.”
Booklist
“[A] lucidly written description of [Long's] research…. Using ingeniously engineered devices called evolvobots that
mimic carefully selected animal features, Long and his team have been probing such mysteries as how the flexible spines
of fish and mammals developed, and whether or not brains are really necessary for some species' survival. Especially
inspiring is Long's demonstration that biorobotics is not only revolutionizing the study of biology but also providing
new enthusiasm for engineering technology's value in novel applications. A must-read for aficionados of both
evolutionary theory and cybernetics.”
Laura Miller, Salon
“Darwin's Devices is part Detes, part MacGyver and part Douglas Adams, turning from rumination on the possibility of
intelligence residing in a brainless body to tips on making artificial fish vertebrae out of coffee stirrers …. One of
the most intriguing and important aspects of Darwin's Devices is the way it places the reader in the lab, at the
shoulder of people doing hands-on science, sharing in their frustrations (over disappointing data, recalcitrant grant
committees and astutely critical colleagues), their successes and their failures. And Long does this so lucidly that you
find yourself caught up in the process, grasping the basics and eager to learn the results. It's the best depiction of
how science really works that I've ever read.”
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About the Author
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John Long is a Professor at Vassar College, with joint appointments in Cognitive Science and Biology. He serves as
Director of Vassar's Interdisciplinary Robotics Research Laboratory, which he co-founded. Long and his robots, Madeleine
and the Tadros, have garnered widespread press coverage in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington
Post, and more. He lives in Poughkeepsie, New York.
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