Comments on: Agency http://emergentfool.com/2007/02/19/agency/ ...explorations in complex adaptive systems... Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:50:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Superfoo « Complex Adaptive Systems http://emergentfool.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1325 Superfoo « Complex Adaptive Systems Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:22:22 +0000 http://rafefurst.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1325 [...] particularly like it either because it has too narrow (and biological) of a connotation. I prefer agent or “system”. In my lexicon, all systems are agents to some degree, but I typically [...] [...] particularly like it either because it has too narrow (and biological) of a connotation. I prefer agent or “system”. In my lexicon, all systems are agents to some degree, but I typically [...]

]]> By: Coherence « Complex Adaptive Systems http://emergentfool.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1328 Coherence « Complex Adaptive Systems Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:36:14 +0000 http://rafefurst.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1328 [...] agents emerge, the dynamic processes involved in their emergence sharpen simultaneously via a feedback of [...] [...] agents emerge, the dynamic processes involved in their emergence sharpen simultaneously via a feedback of [...]

]]> By: Complex Systems Concept Summary « Complex Adaptive Systems http://emergentfool.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1327 Complex Systems Concept Summary « Complex Adaptive Systems Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:40:45 +0000 http://rafefurst.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1327 [...] is related closely to the concepts of agency, stability, and [...] [...] is related closely to the concepts of agency, stability, and [...]

]]> By: Superorganism and Singularity « Complex Adaptive Systems http://emergentfool.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1329 Superorganism and Singularity « Complex Adaptive Systems Tue, 25 Nov 2008 03:38:13 +0000 http://rafefurst.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1329 [...] just because we humans are myopic and anthropomorphic.  The definition above focuses on the individual agents at the current level of organization, namely humans and also their technological [...] [...] just because we humans are myopic and anthropomorphic.  The definition above focuses on the individual agents at the current level of organization, namely humans and also their technological [...]

]]> By: Book Report: Complex Adaptive Systems « Complex Adaptive Systems http://emergentfool.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1326 Book Report: Complex Adaptive Systems « Complex Adaptive Systems Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:02:06 +0000 http://rafefurst.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1326 [...] Yep. p. 28: Another important question is how robust are social systems. Take a typical organization, whether it be a local bar or a multinational corporation. More often than not, the essential culture of that organization retains a remarkable amount of consistency over long periods of time, even though the underlying cast of characters is constantly changing and new outside forces are continually introduced. We see a similar effect in the human body: typical cells are replaced on scales of months, yet individuals retain a very consistent and coherent form across decades. Despite a wide variety of both internal and external forces, somehow the decentralized system controlling the trillions of ever changing cells in your body allows you to be easily recognized by someone you have not seen in twenty years. What is it that allows these systems to sustain such productive, aggregate patterns through so much change? [...] [...] Yep. p. 28: Another important question is how robust are social systems. Take a typical organization, whether it be a local bar or a multinational corporation. More often than not, the essential culture of that organization retains a remarkable amount of consistency over long periods of time, even though the underlying cast of characters is constantly changing and new outside forces are continually introduced. We see a similar effect in the human body: typical cells are replaced on scales of months, yet individuals retain a very consistent and coherent form across decades. Despite a wide variety of both internal and external forces, somehow the decentralized system controlling the trillions of ever changing cells in your body allows you to be easily recognized by someone you have not seen in twenty years. What is it that allows these systems to sustain such productive, aggregate patterns through so much change? [...]

]]> By: rafefurst http://emergentfool.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1324 rafefurst Wed, 28 Feb 2007 04:47:32 +0000 http://rafefurst.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1324 The book "Cure" on the Reading List outlines a very concrete approach to a practical cure for cancer based on the same "system-speak" discussed in this blog. The problem is bigger than you think because of the evolutionary nature of cancer. This fact requires us to take a huge step back before we can make a strategy with any hope of working. It's sad and comical to see each new panacea flame out, but it's very predictable. Read the book to see why and how to really approach the cure. As an aside, you might be interested in another book on the list, "The Emergent Ego", which analyzes psychotherapy from a complex systems perspective and creates a pretty compelling theory of mind in the process. The author is a psychotherapist himself who stumbled upon Kauffman's work and then studied at the Santa Fe Institute to work on the book. I thought I was going to see the book as trite, but instead I think it's fairly deep. I find no errors in his complex systems claims, though you might with his psychotherapy claims, I'm not versed enough to know. The book “Cure” on the Reading List outlines a very concrete approach to a practical cure for cancer based on the same “system-speak” discussed in this blog. The problem is bigger than you think because of the evolutionary nature of cancer. This fact requires us to take a huge step back before we can make a strategy with any hope of working. It’s sad and comical to see each new panacea flame out, but it’s very predictable. Read the book to see why and how to really approach the cure.

As an aside, you might be interested in another book on the list, “The Emergent Ego”, which analyzes psychotherapy from a complex systems perspective and creates a pretty compelling theory of mind in the process. The author is a psychotherapist himself who stumbled upon Kauffman’s work and then studied at the Santa Fe Institute to work on the book. I thought I was going to see the book as trite, but instead I think it’s fairly deep. I find no errors in his complex systems claims, though you might with his psychotherapy claims, I’m not versed enough to know.

]]> By: DADDY http://emergentfool.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1323 DADDY Tue, 27 Feb 2007 16:46:00 +0000 http://rafefurst.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/agency/#comment-1323 Rafe--Your undertaking is very interesting in a meta-scientific sense, but I fail to see how such "system-speak" can actually translate into new models for curing cancer. Isn't it just a matter of encouraging scientists to investigate mechanisms of how cells go haywire? OK, models develop in this process, but it's more of an organic development, shaped by the push and pull of empirical findings, rather than by a "top-down" analysis. Rafe–Your undertaking is very interesting in a meta-scientific sense, but I fail to see how such “system-speak” can actually translate into new models for curing cancer. Isn’t it just a matter of encouraging scientists to investigate mechanisms of how cells go haywire? OK, models develop in this process, but it’s more of an organic development, shaped by the push and pull of empirical findings, rather than by a “top-down” analysis.

]]>