★The author is a telecommunications engineer and expert in complex systems and mathematical modeling, with over 10 years of experience in network strategy and management at Telefónica España. She once used data analysis to study the spread of COVID-19, viral strain evolution, and other aspects, and her professional background provides solid support for the content.
★With mathematics as the core tool, it connects biology and epidemiology knowledge, answers key questions such as viral transmission and immune mechanism, helps readers understand the connection between mathematics and life sciences, and grasp the laws behind epidemics.
★Combining her experience in COVID-19 data research, she explains professional concepts such as exponential functions and statistical models in a clear and understandable way, balancing scientific rigor and readability. It is suitable for readers interested in life sciences and mathematical applications.

This is a journey deep into biology, statistics, and evolution, where mathematics meets life to reveal the secrets of our survival.

Why can mathematical models that predict telecommunications network traffic also be used to understand the spread of epidemics? Why is a viral strain 70% more contagious more dangerous than one 70% more lethal? How can our immune system recognize 10 million different patterns? Why do we share more genes with viruses than with other primates? Why can some bacteria “eat stones” while we can only obtain nutrients from other living organisms? What is the connection between viruses and exponential functions?

Mª Teresa Herrero, a professional engineer specializing in complex systems, uses rigorous mathematical thinking to unravel the hidden laws behind epidemics: the exponential functions that turn a single case into a global crisis, the statistical models that predict the behavior of entire populations, and the equations that reveal how viral mutations can change the course of history.

Having participated in COVID-19 data research, she combines precise analytical capabilities with the clear expression of an excellent popular science writer. In this book, she reveals how mathematics and biology work together to explain the operating logic of life and diseases, from viral mutations to transmission networks. Because on this overpopulated and highly interconnected planet, only by understanding these numbers can we be prepared for the next epidemic.

At this moment, as you read these lines, your immune system is fighting at least 8 different viruses without your knowledge. An army of specialized cells patrols your body, distinguishing between the 1 million beneficial bacteria necessary for your survival and the invaders that could harm you. This is the most sophisticated battle in the universe, yet it takes place in the invisible microscopic world.

Mª Teresa Herrero Zamorano is a telecommunications engineer and an expert in complex systems and mathematical modeling. Passionate about biology, she has been committed to studying the application methods of complex systems science in ecosystems and living organisms for many years.

Her career spans multiple fields: intelligent network service design, technology research and development, network planning, and network intelligence. During her more than 10-year tenure at Telefónica España, she served as Director of Network Strategy and Management, designing predictive models to guide the company’s network deployment and investment decisions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she used her data analysis knowledge to study the spread trends and characteristics of the epidemic, analyzing incidence rates, viral strain evolution, vaccination status, and hospitalization rates in Spain and other parts of the world. This experience allowed her to combine her passion for biology and complexity theory with the analytical and modeling capabilities developed throughout her career.

Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Economics at the National University of Distance Education (UNED) in Spain, with her doctoral thesis focusing on the evolution of the telecommunications market and demand heterogeneity, using complex systems tools. Her research results on epidemics and networks have been published in popular science articles and shared at academic forums and professional conferences, and this book is the first time she has compiled these research results into a book.