Coming from the background of theoretical physics, Geoffrey West looked at the field of biology from the angle of complex adaptive systems. Given the seemingly infinite diversity of life, he set out to find the basic underlying principles that run through biological systems, hoping in the end to transfer those principles to social (human-made) systems like cities or … Continue reading Cities, companies, and innovation – Biological beginnings
Tag: complexity
Cities, companies, and innovation – Prologue
It's rather rare that I'm immediately fascinated when I hear about an idea for the first time, but Geoffrey West's 2011 TED talk about The surprising math of cities and corporations really stunned me. A theoretical physicist and former president of the Santa Fe Institute, West's quest is for a genuine science of cities, based on universal principles, with quantifiable … Continue reading Cities, companies, and innovation – Prologue
The limits of complexity
In our daily lives, we are engulfed with complexity. It is all around us: just think about business transactions, global trade, health care systems, jet engines, the energy grid, the tax code, computers, ... Many would even add the remote control of their stereo or the radio in their car to that list. Yet despite that almost permanent … Continue reading The limits of complexity
How efficiency can kill you – in simple charts
In the previous post I've investigate the antagonistic relation between efficiency on one side and resilience on the other. As that is a pretty abstract subject, I tried to draw up a few simple charts to underpin the story of how efficiency, when taken to extremes, depletes resilience and ultimately promotes system failure. First, let's think of a simple task, the … Continue reading How efficiency can kill you – in simple charts
Efficiency will kill you slowly
Our western societies are obsessed with efficiency. Just think about topics like lean production, just-in-time logistics, energy consumption, time management: we are always trying to make things cheaper, to use less resources, to pack more action in less time, you name it. While these considerations are usually driven by good intent, I'd argue that they can pave the path to desaster … Continue reading Efficiency will kill you slowly
understanding innovation 