Physics – General Physics
Scientific paper
2010-06-30
Nature, vol. 418, 131 (2002)
Physics
General Physics
Concepts essay, published in Nature http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v418/n6894/full/418131a.html
Scientific paper
10.1038/418131a
If a concept is not well defined, there are grounds for its abuse. This is particularly true of complexity, an inherently interdisciplinary concept that has penetrated very different fields of intellectual activity from physics to linguistics, but with no underlying, unified theory. Complexity has become a popular buzzword used in the hope of gaining attention or funding -- institutes and research networks associated with complex systems grow like mushrooms. Why and how did it happen that this vague notion has become a central motif in modern science? Is it only a fashion, a kind of sociological phenomenon, or is it a sign of a changing paradigm of our perception of the laws of nature and of the approaches required to understand them? Because virtually every real system is inherently extremely complicated, to say that a system is complex is almost an empty statement - couldn't an Institute of Complex Systems just as well be called an Institute for Almost Everything? Despite these valid concerns, the world is indeed made of many highly interconnected parts over many scales, whose interactions result in a complex behaviour needing separate interpretation for each level. This realization forces us to appreciate that new features emerge as one goes from one scale to another, so it follows that the science of complexity is about revealing the principles governing the ways by which these new properties appear.
No associations
LandOfFree
Complexity: The bigger picture does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Complexity: The bigger picture, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Complexity: The bigger picture will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-154586