The theme of the Complex Ity International Jounal is the field of complex systems, the generation of complex behaviour from the interaction of multiple parallel processes.

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_system

[Cosma Schalizi] says Complex System-s are those with many strongly interdependent variables. This excludes systems with only a few effective variables, the kind we meet in elementary dynamics. It also excludes systems with many independent variables; we learn how to deal with them in elementary statistical mechanics. Complex Ity appears where coupling is important, but doesn't freeze out most [Degrees Of Freedom].

Most Human System-s are complex.

Complex System-s are unpredictable. Sorry.

Hmm, biological complex systems seem to have lots of SlAck, or is that just redundancy? While Human System-s of greater complexity seem to have less slack... or am I wrong?

• Bob Frankston noted (private group): The key is not redundancy but Resil Ience... As to Civilizat Ion-s and complexity - one way to think of it is that if things work too well you loss resilience. [Y2K] was a nonissue because it presumed highly coupled systems but those can't survive even without [Y2K].

• this article about removing traffic lights and signs ([Naked Street]-s) to increase Street Traffic safety seems like an example of de-optimizing to increase resilience. [Ben Hamilton Baillie] smells like the guru in this movement.

  • [John Thackera] points to some demonstration VidEo-s online of Third World intersections.

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