Technology – A multi-purpose tool

Intuitively, we'll all subscribe that technology is a tool: we use technology to do something, we employ technology to achieve a goal. And that's entirely in line with Brian Arthur's definition of a technology as the orchestration of phenomena to achieve a human purpose. But what are those purposes? With today's post, I'll try to find out whether there are some … Continue reading Technology – A multi-purpose tool →

Three days, three breakthroughs

Wow, what a ride! Just between 10 and 12 December 2015 –within the blink of an eye– three events occurred that we will likely consider breakthroughs in a couple of years: the Paris Agreement, the launch of OpenAI, and the first successful run of Wendelstein 7-X. While one of those events is widely agreed as historic, the other two currently … Continue reading Three days, three breakthroughs →

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 →

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 →

Different scales, different purposes, all intertwined

Complex adaptive systems exists at different scales, both spatial and temporal. As Lance Gunderson and Crawford Holling described it, those different scales form of structure of nested adaptive cycles. To make this idea a bit more tangible, let's take weather and climate: we are all exposed to the very local patterns every minute we are outdoors; we take into … Continue reading Different scales, different purposes, all intertwined →