EPisode #8 emergence from complex systems
Complexity is all around us – in fact if we’re looking for a distinction between complicatED things as opposed to comPLEX things, then it’s that people make things complicated (but linear, and readily described) while the whole of the rest of the web of life makes things that are complex… from a cell to an organ to a human (or animal, or plant) body, to an ecosystem, to our climate, to the entire planetary biosphere… (which is why modern medicine doesn’t get so far when it tries to treat us all as if we were basically clockwork and all they have to do is fix the flywheel…)
Anyway – if we’re going to understand how we tick, if we’re going to understand why the non-linear tipping points of complex systems trend towards infinity quite so fast (think methane hydrates boiling off in the arctic causing runaway global heating) – and particularly if we’re going to get to grips with why and how we might reach a stage where conscious evolution is the next emergent property of the hyper-complex system of human society… We need to understand the basics of complexity.
And when we’ve got our heads around this, it’s useful to have a look at the Levers of Change by which any complex system may be nudged – because the non-linear nature of complex systems means that the ways we might, say, change the trajectory of a jetliner are not the same ways we might influence a complex system. So we look at that, too, with honour given to Donella Meadows for coming up with the twelve point list.
Episode #8
Download
If you want to look more at the work of Donella Meadows, it’s here.
If you want to look at the twelve points specifically, try here.
or an easier read here.
and if you want to look at emergence in more detail, this is useful.
[The music that book-ends the podcasts is created by Caro C and is called ‘Sense Ability’ – you can find it here.]
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE RECENT EPISODES
Vulture Capitalism – Exposing the toxic system and how to outgrow it with Grace Blakeley
Grace Blakeley, staff writer at Tribune magazine and author of the eye-opening “Vulture Capitalism”, peels back the layers of our economic system, exposing the stark realities hidden beneath the veneer of ‘free markets’ and ‘democratic’ institutions.
Seeds of Hope: Cultivating a Future of Flavour and Resilience with Sinead Fortune and Kate Hastings of the Gaia Foundation
Our guests today are two remarkable women who bring energy, commitment and deep thought into building communities of food both nationally and internationally, in bringing ancient local species back from the brink of extinction and rediscovering, or in some cases, building anew the local technology that’ll help to rebuild the communities of place that have been focused on food for millennia and only recently been eroded. They are both masterful storytellers, bringing enthusiasm and the spark of hope to something that touches us all.
Finding a Cure for Civilisation: Delving Deep into the Roots of Being with visionary and shaman, Drea Burbank of Savimbo
For those who are ready to stand with the guardians of our planet’s remaining wilderness, this episode is an essential listen. Join us as we explore the profound connections between human healing and planetary health, where the fight for nature’s rights is a fight for our collective future.
River Charters, Net Zero Cities and BioRegional Banks: Creating a Life-Ennobling Economic System with Emily Harris of Dark Matter Labs
Emily unveils the bold concept of life-enabling economics and the radical aspiration of establishing bioregional banks — a system where money is no longer a mere transactional tool but a means to foster a thriving web of life. From the Findhorn watershed initiative to the Sheffield River Don project, Emily details practical steps towards making these ideas a reality, including the creation of relationship registers and multivalent currencies like ‘river coins’.
STAY IN TOUCH
For a regular supply of ideas about humanity's next evolutionary step, insights into the thinking behind some of the podcasts, early updates on the guests we'll be having on the show - AND a free Water visualisation that will guide you through a deep immersion in water connection...sign up here.
(NB: This is a free newsletter - it's not joining up to the Membership! That's a nice, subtle pink button on the 'Join Us' page...)