Sean Carroll

With complexity, it's still more of a grab bag. There's very interesting results out there. There are some things that seem to be common across different kinds of complex systems, but it's less clear what exactly the standard set of knowledge is supposed to be. It's more scattered across different domains, different disciplines, and therefore harder for it to get into a standardized curriculum.

We're getting there. There's a couple of very interesting textbooks that now exist on complex systems theory, and maybe it will become more popular. But also, you know, the way that complex systems—I never know whether to call it complexity or complex systems, and therefore the accent on the first word is always unpredictable for me.

We're getting there. There's a couple of very interesting textbooks that now exist on complex systems theory, and maybe it will become more popular. But also, you know, the way that complex systems—I never know whether to call it complexity or complex systems, and therefore the accent on the first word is always unpredictable for me.

Complex systems science is an interdisciplinary science by its very nature. It's you know, what can be a complex system? A biological organism can be a complex system. The economy can be a complex system. The internet is a complex system. A language is a complex system. What department is this supposed to be in, right? You know, who is supposed to be learning this and teaching it?

Complex systems science is an interdisciplinary science by its very nature. It's you know, what can be a complex system? A biological organism can be a complex system. The economy can be a complex system. The internet is a complex system. A language is a complex system. What department is this supposed to be in, right? You know, who is supposed to be learning this and teaching it?

So what you get is different departments doing little bits of it, and it hopefully in some areas does have an impact, but there's no standard. There's no consensus. And I think that Maybe that will change. You know, I keep trying to teach a course in complex systems in the physics department at Johns Hopkins.

So what you get is different departments doing little bits of it, and it hopefully in some areas does have an impact, but there's no standard. There's no consensus. And I think that Maybe that will change. You know, I keep trying to teach a course in complex systems in the physics department at Johns Hopkins.

It is not like they're trying to prevent me, but other courses that are more pressing keep coming up. So I'm teaching quantum mechanics next year. That's got to be taught. Someone's got to teach quantum mechanics, and so I'm going to be doing it to the undergraduates.

It is not like they're trying to prevent me, but other courses that are more pressing keep coming up. So I'm teaching quantum mechanics next year. That's got to be taught. Someone's got to teach quantum mechanics, and so I'm going to be doing it to the undergraduates.

We do have a new faculty member at Hopkins, Matthew Wyart, who is a true complex systems statistical mechanics expert, and he's going to be teaching things. So I do think that, you know, maybe it's seeping its way in. These things take time. Academia is very slow, very slow to change and to adapt to new ideas.

We do have a new faculty member at Hopkins, Matthew Wyart, who is a true complex systems statistical mechanics expert, and he's going to be teaching things. So I do think that, you know, maybe it's seeping its way in. These things take time. Academia is very slow, very slow to change and to adapt to new ideas.

Bjorn Haig says, you seem to be able to disagree with people so gently, clearly, and unobtrusively. How do you do it? Are you even aware of this being a skill of yours? Yeah, I would disagree. This is a skill of mine. I don't think this is a skill. That's not the way that it comes across to me.

Bjorn Haig says, you seem to be able to disagree with people so gently, clearly, and unobtrusively. How do you do it? Are you even aware of this being a skill of yours? Yeah, I would disagree. This is a skill of mine. I don't think this is a skill. That's not the way that it comes across to me.

I get very frustrated with people sometimes, and I do disagree with them maybe a bit too harshly or shrilly than really I do. I try. to disagree gently and constructively. It's not about being unobtrusive or even gentle so much as clear is important, to be clear about why you disagree and to be constructive about it, to try to understand why we're disagreeing, maybe move forward.

I get very frustrated with people sometimes, and I do disagree with them maybe a bit too harshly or shrilly than really I do. I try. to disagree gently and constructively. It's not about being unobtrusive or even gentle so much as clear is important, to be clear about why you disagree and to be constructive about it, to try to understand why we're disagreeing, maybe move forward.

But I would say that there are different kinds of disagreement, right? There are people who are worth disagreeing with, and there are people who are not worth disagreeing with. I do try very hard to not spend too much time disagreeing with the people who are not worth disagreeing with. I mean, I disagree with them maybe,

But I would say that there are different kinds of disagreement, right? There are people who are worth disagreeing with, and there are people who are not worth disagreeing with. I do try very hard to not spend too much time disagreeing with the people who are not worth disagreeing with. I mean, I disagree with them maybe,

But if they're not going to change their minds or their thoughts are just not very interesting or good, then I'm not going to spend a lot of time engaging with them. I'm trying to engage with people who I disagree with in a way that potentially they could change my mind or I could change theirs or at least we could learn something important from each other.

But if they're not going to change their minds or their thoughts are just not very interesting or good, then I'm not going to spend a lot of time engaging with them. I'm trying to engage with people who I disagree with in a way that potentially they could change my mind or I could change theirs or at least we could learn something important from each other.

That's the criterion that I try to have for guests on Mindscape. It doesn't always work, you know. There's – Podcasts has to happen every week, and I choose a lot of different people, but basically what I'm looking for is somebody I can learn from. Even if it's something that I already know a lot about, I can learn little details, and the audience maybe can learn a lot.