The work performed by living systems ranges from photosynthesis to
prodigious feats of computation and organization. This multidisciplinary volume
explores the relationships between work and the study of work across many different
levels of organization. By addressing how work gets done, and why, from the
perspectives of a range of disciplines, including cell and evolutionary biology,
neuroscience, psychology, electrical and computer engineering, and design, the
volume sets out to establish an integrative approach to the study of work.Chapters
introduce the biological work of producing energy in the cell; establish inherent
tradeoffs between energy and information in neural systems; relate principles of
integrated circuit manufacture to work in biological systems; explore the work of
photosynthesis; investigate how work shapes organisms' evolutionary niches; consider
the human work of design; describe the effects of job satisfaction and
dissatisfaction on work-life balance; and address the effects of environmental
challenges (stress) on how humans and animals do work. Finally, editors and
contributors draw these studies together and point to future
developments.Contributors Alan Blackwell, Gillian Brown, Christina De La Rocha,
Kevin Laland, Simon Laughlin, Robert Levin, Michael Lightner, Steven Maier, Joseph
Rosse, Stacy Saturay