Accidental Gods

Emerging from Complexity: how we become the change we need to see with Manda Scott

12 Feb 2020

Audio

Description

Emergence from Complex Systems is a thing. And the thing about it is, that there are only two options when a system reaches maximal complexity: collapse to chaos and extinction OR emergence to a new phase. We prefer the second option, so this is a look at complexity - and at the levers of change in any system. 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. If you want to look more at her work, it's hereIf you want to look at the twelve points specifically, try here

Transcription

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.

0 upvotes

🗳️ Sign in to Upvote

Popular episodes get transcribed faster

Other episodes from Accidental Gods

Transcribed and ready to explore now

Honouring Fear as Your Mentor: Thoughts from the Edge - Manda Scott

01 Mar 2026

Accidental Gods

Co-ordiNations vs the Network State: Greenland and the Schism in Global Vision - with Dr Andrea Leiter

25 Feb 2026

Accidental Gods

Tracking the Wild Things, Inside and Out - with Jon Young of Living Connection 1st

18 Feb 2026

Accidental Gods

Water, Water Everywhere and none of it fit to drink! With Claire Kirby of Up Sewage Creek - ahead of World Water Day

11 Feb 2026

Accidental Gods

Laws of Nature, Laws with Nature: Nature on Board with Alexandra Pimor of the Earth Law Center

21 Jan 2026

Accidental Gods

Accidental Gods

Emerging from Complexity: how we become the change we need to see with Manda Scott

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Other episodes from Accidental Gods

Honouring Fear as Your Mentor: Thoughts from the Edge - Manda Scott

Co-ordiNations vs the Network State: Greenland and the Schism in Global Vision - with Dr Andrea Leiter

Tracking the Wild Things, Inside and Out - with Jon Young of Living Connection 1st

Water, Water Everywhere and none of it fit to drink! With Claire Kirby of Up Sewage Creek - ahead of World Water Day

Laws of Nature, Laws with Nature: Nature on Board with Alexandra Pimor of the Earth Law Center

What ought we be? Hope, despair and the resilience of life with Professor David Farrier

Sign in to Audioscrape

Share this moment