Title page -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- General survey -- The Notion of Security -- Defining security -- The sociophysics of terrorism: a passive supporter percolation effect -- Introduction -- The passive supporter attitude -- Percolation theory: from physics to social properties -- Terrorists must be like fishes in water. But they must find that water -- From individual shifts to global properties -- From the model to some universal features of terrorism -- What is novel in current global terrorism? -- There exists no military solution -- From no feasible military solution to novel social perspectives -- Neutralizing flags to curb global terror -- Conclusion -- References -- The 'What', 'Who' and 'How' of contemporary security -- Introduction -- Perception and reality -- The 'What' of security analysis-the domain of security from core to periphery -- The 'Who' of security analysis -- Management: the 'How' of security -- Conclusion -- References -- What is Complexity? -- An introduction to complexity -- The relation of complexity to systems theory -- Frustration -- Regulation -- Directive correlation -- Delayed feedback -- Implications of complexity -- Emergence -- Innovation -- Complexity, stability and crises -- Introduction -- Complexity and crises -- Urban and regional complexity -- Anticipating crises -- The drivers of change -- The output -- Analysing the structure -- Scenarios -- Implications -- References -- The representation of complexity -- Types of complexity -- Intuitive notions of complexity -- Intrinsic complexity -- Encoding an object -- Regularity and randomness -- Information -- Algorithmic information content (AIC) -- Effective complexity (EC) -- Physical complexity (PC) -- Bibliography -- Soil as a paradigm of a complex system -- Context: soil and security -- Soils and complexity -- Soils as complex systems.

Nonlinearity -- Indeterminacy -- Emergent behaviour -- Self-organization -- References -- Complexity in materials science and semiconductor physics -- Controlled disorders, nanoscience, nanotechnology and spintronics -- Travelling electrical domains on localized states-disorder of semiconductor electronic structures -- Diluted magnetic semiconductors -- Novel polymer nanocomposites for microsensors -- Spin-polarized transport in semiconductors -- Modelling of quantum systems-the way of quantum device design -- Conclusion -- References -- Climate and Energy -- Introduction to global warming -- The measurement of temperature and solar output -- The Earth's energy balance -- Industrial activity -- Variations in contributors to the energy balance -- Solar flux -- Albedo -- Variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide -- Biogenic factors -- Volcanoes -- Anthropogenic factors -- The carbon cycle -- The nitrogen cycle -- The sulfur cycle -- Consequences of global warming -- Conclusions -- List of the most common symbols -- Climate change and the complexity of the energy global security supply solutions: the global energy (r)evolution -- Climate change -- Primary energy resources -- The fossil fuels -- Oil production -- The chaos of the reserves -- Natural gas -- Coal -- Carbon dioxide capture and storage and clean coal technologies -- Uranium resources and nuclear energy -- Contribution of all fossil and nuclear fuels -- What is the solution for saving the planet?-the global energy (r)evolution -- The hydrogen economy -- Conclusions -- Complexity in environmental and meteorological research -- Natural disasters" as a dynamic category of environmental phenomena-climate change -- The 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-58 -- from IGY (1957-58) to IPY (2007-2008) -- The 2007 IPCC report -- Global carbon cycle and climate.

Sources of and sinks for carbon dioxide in the biosphere -- Anthropogenic sources of carbon -- Conclusions -- References -- Global warming: a social phenomenon -- Introduction -- No present scientific certainty about human guilt -- Social warming worse than global warming! -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- The Technology of Security -- Complex technology: a promoter of security and insecurity -- The problems of protecting people in underground structures from terrorist explosions -- Introduction -- Structure of a protective system -- Parameters of influence -- External impact parameters -- Main parameters of the protective system -- Energy absorption parameters of the system -- Methods of identification of blasts in underground openings -- Hydraulic shock energy absorber with a pyrotechnic element -- Conclusions -- References -- Degradation of anthropogenic contaminants by higher plants -- Introduction -- Plants and remediation pathways -- The role of enzymes -- Degradation processes -- Plant ultrastructure dynamics due to xenobiotics -- Plants as remediators -- References -- Modern trends in integrated information systems development -- Introduction -- Service-oriented architecture -- The synthesis of information protection systems with optimal properties -- The problems of information security in modern information and communication systems -- The methodology of synthesis of information security systems in information and communication systems -- Typical problems of the synthesis of information security systems with optimal properties -- The problem of structural synthesis of the information security system with an optimal level of information protection -- The problem of parametric synthesis of an information security system with an optimal level of information protection -- Summary -- References.

Complexity and security of coupled critical infrastructures -- Introduction -- Characteristics of critical infrastructures -- Risk-shaping factors -- Assessment matrix -- Risk governance strategies -- Step by step -- Identification and prediction -- New technologies -- Standards -- Towards an integrative approach -- References -- The formation of a global information society, digital divide and trends in the Georgian telecommunications market -- Development dynamics of the Georgian telecommunications market, 2000-2006 -- Mobile telecommunication services -- Fixed line telecommunication services -- International/long-distance telecommunication services -- Internet services -- Conclusion -- References -- Psychological, Social, Political, Economic and Ethical Aspects of Security -- Psychological, social, economic and political aspects of security -- Why governments and companies invest in science and technology -- Introduction -- Science and technology payoff -- Global trends in S&T -- Global investments in R&D are large -- The role of governments in R&D funding is decreasing -- Increased company R&D reflects the technology-intensive global economy -- Technology output is reflected in technology trade -- Greater importance of science and engineering education -- Increasing globalization of the R&D enterprise -- Complexity in the global context -- Communicating the value of science -- Social entropy, synergy and security -- The actuality of the problem -- Society as a system -- Neural model -- Social behaviour -- Hierarchic model -- The complexity of civilization -- Some reflexions on NATO and Georgia -- Conclusions -- References -- An abstract model of political relationships: modeling interstate relations -- The complexity of the economic transition in Eastern Europe -- Introduction -- The transition history.

Fifteen years to promote economic transition -- The major achievements -- Does the transition make you happy? -- Sources consulted -- Children and security: "A child has the right to be defended from birth -- Subject Index -- Author Index.

Develops a fundamental concept that in order to achieve security in a complex world, it is essential to ensure that we have sufficient variety available to cope with complexity and its potential dangers. This book develops many facets of this idea, covering major world issues, including energy, food and environmental security, and climate change.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2018. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.