Søren Nors Nielsen, Felix Müller

Entropy 2023, 25(9), 1288

Santa Fe Institute

Streamed live on 24 Aug 2023

Vijay Balasubramanian University of Pennsylvania, SFI

The human brain consists of a 100 billion neurons connected by a 100 trillion synapses. In its computational function, each neuron is a simple electrical device. In this sense it is no different, in its conceptual essence, from a transistor or a diode in a silicon microchip, converting input signals into ephemeral voltage pulses that transmit to other neurons. And yet, the collective effect of these tiny electrical flutterings creates the intelligent mind, with its astonishing capacity for perception and action, memory and imagination, affection and indifference. In the words of Ramon y Cajal (1854-1932), a founding figure of neuroscience, neurons are “the mysterious butterflies of the soul, whose beating of wings may one day reveal to us the secrets of the mind.” In this talk, Vijay Balasubramanian will explore current ideas about how this transmutation occurs.

Learn more at https://santafe.edu Follow us on social media: https://twitter.com/sfisciencehttps://instagram.com/sfisciencehttps://facebook.com/santafeinstitutehttps://facebook.com/groups/santafein…https://linkedin.com/company/santafei… Subscribe to SFI’s official podcasts: https://complexity.simplecast.comhttps://aliencrashsite.org

If we want to understand complex constructions, such as ourselves, assembly theory says we must account for the entire history of how such entities came to be.

ByPhilip Ball

A New Idea for How to Assemble Life

If we want to understand complex constructions, such as ourselves, assembly theory says we must account for the entire history of how such entities came to be.

Assembly theory explains why, given seemingly infinite combinatorial possibilities, we only observe a certain subset of objects in our universe.

A New Theory for the Assembly of Life in the Universe | Quanta Magazine

https://www.quantamagazine.org/a-new-theory-for-the-assembly-of-life-in-the-universe-20230504/

The reckless, infinite scope of web browsersMarch 18, 2020 on Drew DeVault’s blog

The reckless, infinite scope of web browsers

https://drewdevault.com/2020/03/18/Reckless-limitless-scope.html

Brought to my attention by this tweet:

https://x.com/iavins/status/1705621562676908397

with this excerpt:

How can Kyiv Metro run 2-3 minutes peak hour frequency during wartime?

S.Y. LEE

SEP 22, 2023

Note the red timers above the platforms…Credit: УНІАН

I have been hunting a white whale for more than a year.

Nearly exactly one year ago, a tweet went viral for noting Kyiv Metro cut back its headways to a train every 2-3 minutes during peak hours and every 6-7 minutes off-peak due to the Russian invasion. Every 6-7 minutes during rush hours would be an unfathomable dream for U.S. and Canadian passenger rail systems. How was this possible, in Kyiv of all places?

Continues in source:

https://www.substack-bahn.net/p/kyiv-metro-vs-the-world-an-exploration

A series elevating the voices of women systems thinkers to explore how systems thinkers can work together to make the world a better place.

By System of Systems Thinkers

Date and time

Tuesday, September 26 · 6 – 7:30pm BST

Location

Online

Refund Policy

Contact the organizer to request a refund.

Eventbrite’s fee is nonrefundable.

About this event

• 1 hour 30 minutes
• Mobile eTicket

Sociologist Zeynep Tufekci and other scientists have pointed to “asystemic thinking” — or the inability to think about complex systems and their dynamics — as one of the reasons America experienced costly delays that allowed the COVID virus to spread uncurbed for weeks. Why don’t we see more systems thinking? What are some practical ideas making systems thinking actionable for a greater number of people?

In this session, Linda Booth Sweeney and Somava Saha will explore these questions, and also:

• Surface the forces that inhibit widespread systems thinking
• Discuss practical, research-based ways to lay a foundation for systems thinking in early childhood and beyond
• Celebrate the fusion of cultural wisdom and inclusivity in advancing systems understanding
• Get a sneak peek into Linda’s upcoming children’s book, “Apart, Together” (Bazer & Bray, October 2023)

About Linda Booth Sweeney

As an education innovator, author and strategist for healthy socio-ecological systems change, Dr. Linda Booth Sweeney is internationally recognized for her efforts to make systems thinking actionable by a wide range of audiences. In her Systems Leadership Labs, Linda creates experiences for leaders to think differently, and to experiment with language, inner stance, visualization tools and knowledge architecture that better mirrors the complexity they are navigating.

She has made significant contributions to promoting the use of metaphors like the bathtub model to enhance public comprehension of critical issues such as climate change. She is co-author of The Systems Thinking Playbook, The Climate Change Playbook, and numerous other books and journal articles. Linda is currently developing Curious about Connections Conversations (CCC), a research-based facilitation method for use by families, teachers and professionals in a variety of settings. Linda is also an award-winning children’s book author. Her next book, Apart Together, is a gentle introduction to systems thinking for children and will be published by Balzer & Bray in October 2023.

About Somava Saha

Somava Saha, MD, MS (aka Soma Stout) has dedicated her career to improving health, wellbeing and equity through the development of thriving people, organizations and communities. She has worked as a primary care internist and pediatrician in the safety net and a global public health practitioner for over 20 years. She has witnessed and demonstrated sustainable transformation in human and community flourishing around the world.

Currently, Soma serves as President and CEO of Well-being and Equity in the World (WE in the World), as well as Executive Lead of the Well Being In the Nation (WIN) Network, which work together to advance inter-generational well-being and equity. Over the last five years, as Vice President at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Dr. Saha founded and led the 100 Million Healthier Lives (100MLives) initiative, which brought together 1850+ partners in 30+ countries reaching more than 500 million people to improve health, wellbeing and equity. She and her team at WE in the World continue to advance and scale the frameworks, tools, and outcomes from this initiative as a core implementation partner in 100MLives.

This series will take place throughout the second half of 2023, so please stay tuned for additional event announcements.

Please support the work of Women in Systems Thinking through a donation when joining the series. However, we do have scholarships available for the whole series and we encourage you to reach out to us at systemofsystemsthinkers@gmail.com if you are in a position where it is not possible for you to donate.

We are feeling powerfully called to remind ourselves of women’s wisdom in this moment and to attempt to model our aspiration of inviting systems thinkers to work together. We invite you join us.

We would also like to thank our wonderful partners and encourage you to learn more about the meaningful work and contributions they make to the field of systems thinking on a daily basis.

Academy for Systems Change

Volans

Pilea

Forum for the Future

Megan Fraser Coaching

Systems Thinking Marin

Global Regeneration CoLab

BCSSS

Club of Rome

Bridgeway Partners

Solvable

Zebras Unite

Denizen

Water Bear Collaborative

Systems Thinking in Action – Laying the Foundations Tickets, Tue, Sep 26, 2023 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/systems-thinking-in-action-laying-the-foundations-tickets-713604037887

Universal Basic Income sense-making session on Hunome

Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at 5:00 PM Finland Time

A link to attend this virtual event will be emailed upon RSVP

Universal Basic Income sense-making session on Hunome – Action Network

RnDAO

18 Jul 2022

DAOs and the Viable System Model

Recorded Tue, Jul 12, 7:00 AM – 8:30 AM PDT

Systems Thinking offers us a wealth of insights to design better DAOs. For this session, we have invited two experts in Cybernetics to share their learnings. Angela Espinosa Angela has three decades of experience in Cybernetics in the Centre of Systems Studies, Hull University. She’s now an Emeritus Fellow at the Centre for Systems Studies, a Fellow in the British Cybernetics Society, and an invited professor in several universities in Latin-America and the UK. She’s also devoted to the Metaphorum, an NGO aiming to continue developing Stafford Beer’s legacy. Jon Walker Jon has worked for over 35 years in the co-operative business sector. He has established and co-managed a range of businesses including retail outlets, a manufacturing plant, and a chain of supermarkets. He pioneered the use of the Viable Systems Model, in both large cooperatives and an eco-community, co-authored the book “A Complexity Approach to Sustainability” with Angela, and consulted and run workshops for 4 Universities (in Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Oman, Romania and for the Government of Victoria, Australia) on the use of The Viable System Model. RnDAO Host – Daniel Ospina @_Daniel_Ospina – Twitter @RnDAO__ empower humane collaboration Video produced by David R. Allen

DAOs and the Viable System Model with Angela Espinosa and Jon Walker

DAOs and the Viable System Model with Angela Espinosa and Jon Walker – YouTube