Category Archives: Complex Systems
Heads I Win, Tails You Lose
I live in a very conservative state. Most of the people I meet resent the Federal Government and strongly opposed the Troubled Asset Relief Program that they see as a bailout of overpaid Wall Street bankers who made bad bets … Continue reading
Leading in Complexity
We constantly hear that there is a dearth of leadership in this country, that David Cameron needs to lead in the UK, that we need leaders to save us from ourselves. What is leadership in a complex society? Is it … Continue reading
A Constitutional Problem
Many Tea Party supporters carry a miniature copy of the U.S. Constitution in their pocket as they complain about how Washington does business. They want spending reigned in—except for the programs that they like or depend on—and the deficit reduced. … Continue reading
Disaster Afoot?
Flooding in Pakistan, smoldering peat fires in Russia shrouding Moscow in thick smoke, and drought in Europe. Is this what climate change looks like? US income inequality growing, profits rising as a share of national income, unemployment staying high, the … Continue reading
Malefactors of Great Power
On this 234th celebration of the Declaration of Independence, it is appropriate to look at what the Founding Fathers left out of their declaration and the subsequent constitution. Today we need protections against new Malefactors of Great Power. The US … Continue reading
Thaler Agrees
The noted professor of economics and behavioral science at the University of Chicago agrees with our post “Too Complex to Govern.” See his comments in the New York Times about complexity in various modern social systems. As Thaler comments: “Neither … Continue reading
Too Complex to Govern
The Gulf Spill raises the question: Are some activities are too complex to govern effectively? The technology needed to drill a mile below the surface of the sea is, by itself, not complex. It may be complicated but because it … Continue reading
We Have Seen the Enemy and It is Us
The TEA party is pressing for less government, the Obama Administration is pressing for more regulation. Are both ‘solutions’ aimed at the wrong problem? Is it possible that the last decade has demonstrated that the American variety of capitalism has … Continue reading
Back Online
We’ve been out of touch for too long with an excess of pressing commitments. But figuring out a complex planet and how to behave on it is more important. So, we are re-starting the debate. To remind readers: the core … Continue reading
Climate Complexity
In recent weeks the controversy around what has become known as ClimateGate has given skeptics of climate change science something to talk about. They have made much fuss and bother about the “tricks” and data debates that the purloined emails … Continue reading
Living on a Complex Planet 