Post by Admin on Feb 6, 2021 11:25:24 GMT
Emergence is The New Amazing Field of Science
This fascinating look at complex systems is raising eyebrows
medium.com/illumination/emergence-is-the-new-amazing-field-of-science-a8f7380c167f
If you have dabbled in philosophy, then perhaps you are already familiar with the term ‘emergence.’ It comes from the idea that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,’ which many people claim was first derived in the mind of Aristotle.
This exciting and relatively new science focuses on how simple organisms demonstrate an ability to self-organize into complex systems¹. For instance, when we observe behaviors within birds, fish, ants, and other animals, we see a sense of order emerge from chaos — clearly indicating that the collective sum is smarter and more productive than its individual parts.
When slime mold became the trendsetter
One amazing example of emergence in nature is slime mold². It is completely made up of individual single-celled organisms, which move as a mass of individuals rather than an organized team. Even more fascinating is that slime mold has no focal point of authority that governs its hierarchy.
Order in the slime mold community is established from the common need for food. Whenever food becomes scarce, these single entities join together and behave as a single organism. Conversely, when food becomes abundant again, this orderly group becomes single individuals again. Thus, slime mold is a straightforward model for how emergence occurs in nature.
After several decades, scientists discovered that individual slime mold organisms begin secreting a pheromone that conveys messages to other community members when there is an environmental change. The group gradually grows and secretes more pheromone until it is large enough to accomplish the needed tasks.
This fascinating look at complex systems is raising eyebrows
medium.com/illumination/emergence-is-the-new-amazing-field-of-science-a8f7380c167f
If you have dabbled in philosophy, then perhaps you are already familiar with the term ‘emergence.’ It comes from the idea that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,’ which many people claim was first derived in the mind of Aristotle.
This exciting and relatively new science focuses on how simple organisms demonstrate an ability to self-organize into complex systems¹. For instance, when we observe behaviors within birds, fish, ants, and other animals, we see a sense of order emerge from chaos — clearly indicating that the collective sum is smarter and more productive than its individual parts.
When slime mold became the trendsetter
One amazing example of emergence in nature is slime mold². It is completely made up of individual single-celled organisms, which move as a mass of individuals rather than an organized team. Even more fascinating is that slime mold has no focal point of authority that governs its hierarchy.
Order in the slime mold community is established from the common need for food. Whenever food becomes scarce, these single entities join together and behave as a single organism. Conversely, when food becomes abundant again, this orderly group becomes single individuals again. Thus, slime mold is a straightforward model for how emergence occurs in nature.
After several decades, scientists discovered that individual slime mold organisms begin secreting a pheromone that conveys messages to other community members when there is an environmental change. The group gradually grows and secretes more pheromone until it is large enough to accomplish the needed tasks.