Predictions of emergent phenomena, appearing on the macroscopic layer of a complex system, can fail if they are made by a microscopic model. This study demonstrates and analyses this claim on a well-known complex system, Conway’s Game of Life. Straightforward macroscopic mean-field models are easily capable of predicting such emergent properties after they have been fitted to simulation data in an after-the-fact way. Thus, these predictions are macro-to-macro only. However, a micro-to-macro model significantly fails to predict correctly, as does the obvious mesoscopic modeling approach. This suggests that some macroscopic system properties in a complex dynamic system should be interpreted as examples of phenomena (properties) arising from “strong emergence,” due to the lack of ability to build a consistent micro-to-macro model, that could explain these phenomena in a before-the-fact way. The root cause for this inability to predict this in a micro-to-macro way is identified as the pattern formation process, a phenomenon that is usually classified as being of “weak emergence.” Ultimately, this suggests that it may be in principle impossible to discriminate between such distinct categories of “weak” and “strong” emergence, as phenomena of both types can be part of the very same feedback loop that mainly governs the system’s dynamics.
In the light of increased organizational and environmental complexity, research turns ever more often to the notion of paradox to investigate how managers can navigate conflicting demands. However, the internal dynamics of paradox remain unclear, making it difficult to understand what exactly is meant by the concept, and how it can be managed in practice. This article notes that the full potential of paradox as an analytical tool for understanding complex situations of organizational life has not been reached, and reveals instances of organizational complexity that appear even more radical than current definitions of paradox posit. Using the sociologist Niklas Luhmann’s concepts of distinction and re-entry, we unfold the complexity of such situations and develop a typology that includes a novel type of paradox that appears underexplored. Illustrating several different ways that opposites can appear interdependent, interwoven, persistent, and synergistic, we contribute to theory- building within paradox research. Finally, we discuss our findings and managerial implications and point towards future research.”
According to Mary Midgley, philosophy is like plumbing: like the invisible entrails of an elaborate plumbing system, philosophical ideas respond to basic needs that are fundamental to human life. Melioristic projects in philosophy attempt to fix or reroute this plumbing. An obstacle to melioristic projects is that the sheer familiarity of the underlying philosophical ideas renders the plumbing invisible. Philosophical genealogies aim to overcome this by looking at the origins of our current concepts. We discuss philosophical concepts developed in Indigenous cultures as a source of inspiration for melioristic genealogy. Examining the philosophical concepts of these communities is useful because it gives us a better idea of the range of ethical, political, and metaphysical approaches that exist in the world. Members of western societies do not get a clear view of this range, in part because living in large groups presents its own constraints and challenges, which limit philosophical options. We argue that features of Indigenous philosophies, such as egalitarianism and care for one’s natural environment, are not inevitable byproducts of Native material conditions and lifestyles, but that they are deliberate forms of conceptual engineering. We propose that comparative philosophy is an integral part of the genealogical project.
President’s Series 24: Cybernetics and the Church, Discovering CyberneticsRev. Dr. Keith Elford reflects on his recently completed doctoral thesis while subsequently we will reflect on discovering cyberneticsByCybernetics Society — President’s Series
The Center Leo Apostel for Transdisciplinary Studies (CLEA) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), organises its first international artscience symposium: ‘Systems At Play: The Self-Organising Symposium on Self-Organisation’ in Brussels from February 15 to 18, 2023.The symposium starts from the idea that art and science are mutually beneficial means of perception and insight creation. It thus provides a transdisciplinary contact zone for artists and scientists to meet, exchange, think, share, take time, and, ultimately, play together.
Then, what shall we talk and play about? Well, it’s up to you where it ends up, but our starting points are the ideas of ‘emergence’, ‘self-organisation’, and ‘goal-directedness’. More specifically, participating artists and scientists are invited to collectively tackle creative challenges in an embodied way. We will feed and facilitate this process with presentations, conversations, workshops and live games during the day, and performances, talks and film screenings during the evening.
Rather than simply organise a symposium simply about self-organisation, we are attempting to organise a self-organising symposium on self-organisation, one that determines its own final goals through all our interactions together. We recognize that we cannot fully predict the processes, outcomes and final goal, nor do we want to. The symposium will become a shared research object, as well as a strange loop in which topic and method merge and multiply.
Artists and scientists are invited to participate through two open calls: one, to participate in the symposium; and two, to participate as well as prepare an input presentation, in the form of a talk, performance, interactive game, or film screening.
For more (practical) info on how to apply and more, please visit our event page!
RSD12: At the Systemic Design Association’s General Assembly, Evan Barba proposed that Georgetown University coordinate RSD12 as a distributed network model where a handful of “hubs” or “nodes” act as regional hosts for RSD. The proposal was enthusiastically received and approved.
Happy holidays
Message from SDA Chair Silvia BarberoI want to take this opportunity to make a special wish for the new year that we continue to connect people with design and build a future of peace and friendship. The future is now, and we are responsible for designing a better world.READ MORE
Contexts – the Systemic Design JournalPeter Jones, Editor in Chief: We’ve had a huge learning year and good results for the systemic design publication. Volume 1 will feature papers from authors Harold Nelson, Elena Porqueddu, Dulmini Perera and Tony Fry.READ MORE
RSD11
Next stepsThis phase starts by moving into production mode, with a target publication date of February 15, 2023. For authors who are revising their papers, the deadline is December 31. It’s also time to upload presentations or supporting materials. While providing anything beyond a final paper is not mandatory, these are welcome additions to the systemic design repository.READ MORE
Reflections on RSD11This year’s RSD contributions were dedicated to exploring possibilities for systemic design. A call went out to question systemic design’s emerging shape, and the growing, remarkably interdisciplinary systemic design community responded.READ MORE
Member News
Designing ComplexityThe much-awaited book, Designing Complexity: The Method & Practice of Systems Oriented Design, by Birger Sevaldson, is available in PDF and hardback. It officially launches in January but can be ordered now.Birger has also re-launched the legacy systemsorienteddesign.net with hundreds of resources: gigamapping, frameworks, tools, projects, and more. Subscribe to get notified of new articles.BOOK DETAILS & ORDER
Sign up & sign inAlthough scholarly work was core at RSD11, the experience felt more like a movement.While volunteer run, SDA needs to maintain a small operating budget to support the emergence of systemic design across a community of academics and practitioners.Please be sure to support SDA this year as a member or with a donation. The SDA member directory also has a new look, so if you opt into the directory, please update your profile.SDA MEMBERSHIP
#ComplexSystems folks:After more than a decade, I am planning to update this diagram. What kind of keywords, concepts, topics, and/or research areas should be added? Let me knowhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Complex_systems_organizational_map.jpg
How much carbon is stored in the aboveground biomass (AGB) of Wytham Woods aka the ‘most studied forest in the world’? Professors Mat Disney and Kim Calders thought this would be very well-known but were surprised to find this perhaps wasn’t the case after all. They discuss how their team approached their latest research.
Over the years, a number of studies have estimated the carbon stored in Wytham Woods, and many more have estimated carbon in UK woodlands more widely. These estimates generally all use empirical regression models relating tree diameter-at-breast height (DBH) (which is easy to measure) and biomass (which is not). These so-called allometric models are calibrated using harvest measurements of individual tree biomass i.e. cutting down and weighing the whole tree.
We had been using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) at Wytham to measure the forest structure in detailed 3D in order to explore relationships of structure…
Systems Community of Inquiry 
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