Common Sense
Complexity
Introduction to Complexity resources
Article: The Complexity of Hayek
Greg Fisher, Synthesis, February 2012
There are a number of similarities between complex systems and Friedrich von Hayek’s work fleshed out in this blog. For those who want to build on Hayek’s broad approach to social systems, they need look no further than complexity theory.
Article: Life before Earth?
Alexei A. Sharov and Richard Gordon, Cornell University Library, March 2013
This study suggests an extrapolation of the genetic complexity of organisms to earlier times suggests that life began before the Earth was formed. Life may have started from systems with single heritable elements that are functionally equivalent to a nucleotide. The genetic complexity, roughly measured by the number of non-redundant functional nucleotides, is expected to have grown exponentially due to several positive feedback factors: gene cooperation, duplication of genes with their subsequent specialization, and emergence of novel functional niches associated with existing genes. Fascinating idea to consider.
Video: Franz contemplates Complexity
ContemplateThisDotOrg, April 2011
Extremely beautiful short video introducing complexity theory and complex adaptive systems, using the concept of "artistic flow" to explain emergence, and outlining some of the most fundamental implications of complexity theory for human society, and how we self-organise.
Video: Puppies! Now that I’ve got your attention, complexity theory
Nicolas Perony, TED, October 2013
Animal behavior isn’t complicated, but it is complex. Nicolas Perony studies how individual animals — be they Scottish Terriers, bats or meerkats — follow simple rules that, collectively, create larger patterns of behavior. And how this complexity born of simplicity can help them adapt to new circumstances, as they arise.
Video: Complexity science: 2 complexity theory
Complexity Lab, April 2014
A short introduction to the new area of complexity theory. For those not familiar with the technical aspects already, the short film below may be better.
Video: Dr. Nassim Nicolas Taleb’s Introduction on Complexity Theory
Dr. Nassim Nicolas Taleb, The Fletcher School, October 2015
A highlight from the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies’ discussion on "Peace for Syria through a A Federal Governance Strategy” with a special focus on implications of the theory in the Syrian context. Something to note: Taleb increasingly takes a more objectivist approach to complexity, which in my opinion colours his analysis of politics.
Video: Complex Adaptive Systems: 1 complexity theory
Complexity Academy, October 2015
This video gives an overview of complexity theory, looking at the major theoretical frameworks that are considered to form part of it and contribute to the study of complex systems.
Paper: A simple guide to chaos and complexity
Dean Rickles, Penelope Hawe, and Alan Shiell, Epidemiol Community Health, 2007
‘‘Complexity science’’ has the potential to invigorate many areas of health science, and may lead to important practical outcomes. However, if it is to do so, we need the discipline that comes from a proper and responsible usage of its concepts. This glossary aims to go some way towards achieving that objective.
Video: An Introduction to Complexity Theory
Eliat Aram, The Tavistock Institute, 2014
As part of the highly successful lunchtime talk series, the contemporary Tavistock Institute of Human Relations (TIHR) food-for-thought programme, Eliat Aram, the Institute’s CEO, introduced staff and guests to some key concepts and philosophical underpinning of Complexity theory, and its implications to understanding organisational praxis.
Further reading and viewing
Article: International relations and complexity theory
Daniel Little, Understanding Society, January 2014
Hilton Root has published some very interesting ideas about systems thinking in international relations theory in Dynamics among Nations: The Evolution of Legitimacy and Development in Modern States. This article examines his approach to social, political, and economic change through a set of ideas that are not yet strongly integrated into IR theory — the perspective of complexity theory, worked out in a clear and useable form.
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Video: Applying Complexity Theory to The World's Hardest Problem
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Rob Kall Bottom Up Show featuring Yaneer Bar-Yam, 2017
What is complexity theory, how does it relate to systems theory and how do you use this approach to deal with social, political issues and the like, and your message that no single person can deal with the problems or the complexity of our modern world. Answering these questions is Yaneer Bar-Yam, complexity theorist and author of Making Things Work; Solving Complex Problems in a Complex World. He's used complexity theory and quantum mechanics theory to predict that the Arab Spring would happen, and applies these approaches to social problems, health care, education, warfare, terrorism and more.
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Video: Complexity, Economic History, and the Coming Financial Crisis
Hidden Forces Podcast featuring Jim Rickards, June 2017
James Rickards and Demetri Kofinas explore financial history stretching back to some of the earliest economic philosophers, recount the deregulation of the financial system from the time of Bretton Woods, through the financial panics in Asia in the late 1990s and the Financial Crisis of 2008. James Rickards addresses one of the economics professions’ greatest weaknesses, namely, the desperate need for better modeling. What can complexity theory, bayesian analysis, and behavioral psychology tell us about our world? How can these theories help improve or replace our broken models? We end with projections about the future and why James Rickards believes the next crisis is bigger, runs deeper, and is much closer than most of us might imagine.
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Article: Complexity Theory and Evolutionary Economics
Robert D. Atkinson, OECD, September 2016
A blog on the fundamental relevance of complexity theory and evolution to the study of economics, and the inherent flaws of an ever more discredited neoclassical economic paradigm.
Paper: What can complexity theory tell us about urban planning?
Ron Crawford, OECD, New Zealand Productivity Commission, April 2016
The purpose of this note is to generate a discussion about cities as complex, adaptive systems and possible implications for urban planning. The note raises questions about the place of different broad approaches to planning, in dealing with complexity. It also raises questions about how collective choice mechanisms to support a participative, collaborative approach would develop
Article: Want simplicity in leadership? Then embrace complexity first
Bettina von Stamm, The Guardian, June 2013
If you are thinking about preparing yourself and your organisation for the future, where do you seek inspiration and guidance? Management gurus or consultancies? Current best practice? Things that have worked for you in the past? That may no longer be enough. While pace and extent of change in fields such as military, communication or transportation technology have increased exponentially in the past few decades it seems leadership assumptions, education paradigms and organisational structures have remained pretty much the same.
Article: How science is telling us all to revolt
Naomi Klein, The New Statesman, October 2013
our relentless quest for economic growth killing the planet? Climate scientists have seen the data – and they are coming to some incendiary conclusions.
Video: Trial, error and the God complex
Tim Harford, TED, June 2011
Economics writer Tim Harford studies complex systems — and finds a surprising link among the successful ones: they were built through trial and error. In this sparkling talk from TEDGlobal 2011, he asks us to embrace our randomness and start making better mistakes.
Video: Complexity Theory & Panpsychism
Neil Theise, M.D, 2013
Dr. Neil Theise, LIver Pathologist and Stem Cell specialist, explains complexity theory, and how sentience could be a function not only of human brains, but of all life, and indeed, of all existence. Sentience, according to his view, is the very interaction that creates all patterns in the universe, including all matter and space. This is the closest thing I have found to someone else explaining what I also concluded; that consciousness is a spectrum stretching from the very small to the very large.
Video: Complexity, Culture & Consciousness
Panel discussion, Minds.com, January 2014
On the intersections of complexity theory, cultural studies, and the evolution of consciousness, this google hangout features Neil Theise, Complexity Researcher; Richard Doyle, Information Scientist; Erik Davis, Religious Scholar; Michael Garfield, Evolutionary Philosopher; Mitch Mignano, Cultural Historian; and Bill Ottman, Open Web Activist. Incidentally, it was nice to see a bit of derision towards the skeptical communities inability to deal with politics.
Article: Stop Trying to Save the World
Michael Hobbes, New Republic, November 2014
Fascinating article about the risk of unintended consequences and negative path dependencies in international development, and the need for the field to embrace complexity theory.
Video: Complex adaptive systems
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Igor Nikolic, ​TEDxRotterdam, 2010
Igor Nikolic graduated in 2009 on his dissertation: co-evolutionary process for modelling large scale socio-technical systems evolution. He received his MSc as a chemical-- and bioprocess engineer at the Delft University of Technology. He spent several years as an environmental researcher and consultant at University of Leiden where he worked on life cycle analysis and industrial ecology. In his research he specializes in applying complex adaptive systems theory and agent based modeling.
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Website: Complexity Labs
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Complexity Labs is an online platform for complex systems providing a wide variety of users with, information, research, educational and media content. They function as an e-learning site providing accessible learning content, original research. and educational materials.
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Video: Complexity Economics Overview
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Complexity Labs, 2014
Complexity economics is a new paradigm within economics that sees the economy as a complex adaptive systems, composed of multiple diverse agents interaction through networks and evolving over time. Instead of seeing the economy as the product of isolated individuals making rational choices, with perfect information, resulting in efficiency markets, complexity economics see the individual as embedded within social and cultural networks that influence their behavior, limits information, and often leads them to make apparently irrational actions, resulting in sub-optimal markets.