Sorry to bug those who feel studying the complex systems we're part of is still beyond the scope of complex systems study, really. I chose to do it with a new kind of physics and a simpler set of questions, since so many of the analytical questions about systems are clearly beyond us.
The financial crash under way shows some of the delicious contradictions that I've found most fruitful. It helps reveal exactly how we disconnect the imaginary worlds we 'like' from the physical worlds we are 'made from'. Maybe it seems 'risky' to discuss that, but it has huge potential too. There are many indicators of systemic global diminishing returns for economic development. Take the main one, the 'complication' of finding physical resources and opportunities in ever smaller pockets with ever more larger interactions. Take the example of the collapse of African fisheries caused by the European fishing fleet following European laws for conserving 'their' ocean. Systemic diminishing returns is a natural phase that's both completely predictable and observable as it approaches from a very long distance. People just ignore it because they don't recognize it as a whole system behavior. Any kind of organizational development follows the same 'bump on a curve' shape of comings and goings. They start with multiplying discoveries of ever greater opportunity and then climax with diminishing discoveries of opportunity. That *could* be reason to celebrate, the whole event of achieving a higher sustainable state. The world of finance is driven by building up promises for multiplying returns (steady % increases). Faced with realizing only diminishing % returns it now naturally has no choice but to declare the whole project a failure... !:0 Everyone is an investor now, but we also rely on the life supports of the physical system. The difference between financial and physical accounting (%'s v. things) cause us to promise ourselves more physical things than the earth can deliver. It's like putting the money we use for each in different pockets, with a set rule to multiply the money in the left pocket, while the wealth of the physical world in the right pocket is leveling off. It's apparent that our thinking about what each pocket owes the other is mysteriously disconnected! Phil Henshaw ¸¸¸¸.·´ ¯ `·.¸¸¸¸ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 680 Ft. Washington Ave NY NY 10040 tel: 212-795-4844 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] explorations: www.synapse9.com -- "it's not finding what people say interesting, but finding what's interesting in what they say" -- ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
