Complexity & Humanity 2.0

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The Discovery of Complexity

description

A journey through complexity theory and our networked society, exploring how we got it wrong and the exponential growth in human capability.

Transcript of Complexity & Humanity 2.0

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The Discovery of Complexity

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We humans are virtuosic pattern-spotters…

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We learn through pattern recognition & storytelling

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‘Those who tell the stories rule society’

[Plato]

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We’re masters ofinductive reasoning

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Drawing conclusions frompatchy information inambiguous environments

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Our behaviour is the opposite

of perfect rationality

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= Much of traditional economic theory is broken

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So what?

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Humans don’t operatewithin an equilibrium system

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Our world is a complexadaptive system

…dependent on networks

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If a system reaches a state of equilibrium it’s essentially dead

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We no longer seek perfection,but agility

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Every organism needs toeliminate its waste products

or else it poisons itself[Drucker]

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The more massive an objectthe more energy is required to change its direction

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Simple rules > complex behaviour

Complex rules > stupid behaviour

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New business models embraceour inherent sociability

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‘The internet and associated technologies are so powerful because they unleash our social souls....our

incredible desire and need to live our lives in the company of others, to be social creatures’

- Mark Earls

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The amount of solar energy we’re creating is doubling every 2 years

That means we’re just 8 doublings away from meeting 100% of our energy needs

And there’s 10,000 times more sunlight than we need

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There’s a direct correlation between GDP growth & mobile use

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Technology makesthe invisible visible

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Enabling everyday citizens to play a rolein protecting the planet

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Giving voice to the people who arewilling to work to see a better world

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Open data enables medical treatments to be made quickly

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‘Pessimism is a luxury of good times… in difficult times, pessimism is a self-fulfilling, self-inflicted death sentence’[Evelin Lindner]

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