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Amira .

Complexity Rising: From Human Beings to Human Civilization, a Complexity Profile by Yan... - 0 views

necsi.edu/...Civilization.html

philosophy Civilizations Human being culture society History

shared by Amira . on 15 Jan 11 - Cached
  • This article analyzes the human social environment using the "complexity profile," a mathematical tool for characterizing the collective behavior of a system. The analysis is used to justify the qualitative observation that complexity of existence has increased and is increasing. The increase in complexity is directly related to sweeping changes in the structure and dynamics of human civilizationthe increasing interdependence of the global economic and social system and the instabilities of dictatorships, communism and corporate hierarchies. Our complex social environment is consistent with identifying global human civilization as an organism capable of complex behavior that protects its components (us) and which should be capable of responding effectively to complex environmental demands.
  • What is generally not recognized is that the relationship between collective global behavior and the internal structure of human civilization can be characterized through mathematical concepts that apply to all complex systems. An analysis based upon these mathematical concepts suggests that human civilization itself is an organism capable of behaviors that are of greater complexity than those of an individual human being. In order to understand the significance of this statement, one must recognize that collective behaviors are typically simpler than the behavior of components. Only when the components are connected in networks of specialized function can complex collective behaviors arise.
  • The goal of this article is to extend the systematic understanding of collective or cooperative behavior so as to characterize such behavior in physical, biological and social systems.
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  • Random, coherent and correlated behaviors illustrate the relationship between the behavior of parts and the collective behavior of a system. In both random and coherent behavior the collective behavior of the system is simple. Correlated behavior gives rise to complex collective behavior. Examples illustrating these types of behavior can be found in physical, biological and social systems.
  • The complexity profile is a mathematical tool that is designed to capture important aspects of the relationship between the behavior of parts of a system and the behavior of the entire system. Behaviors of the system are assigned a scale which is related to the ability of an observer to see that behavior. Typically, larger scale behaviors involve coordination between more parts and/or larger amounts of energy. The complexity profile counts the number of behaviors that are observable at a particular scale, which includes all behaviors assigned to that scale or larger scales. When a system is formed out of independent parts, the behaviors are on a small scale. When a system is formed out of parts that all move in the same direction, the behavior is on the largest scale. When a system is formed out of parts whose behaviors are partially correlated and partially independent then as we look at the system on finer and finer scales we see more and more details. This is characteristic of complex systems formed out of specialized and correlated parts. Such systems have a complexity profile that declines gradually with scale.
  • Hierarchical organizations are designed to impose correlations in human behavior primarily through the influence of the hierarchical control structure. In an ideal hierarchy all influences/communications between two "workers" must travel through a common manager. As the complexity of collective behavior increases, the number of independent influences increases, and a manager becomes unable to process/communicate all of them. Increasing the number of managers and decreasing the branching ratio (the number of individuals supervised by one manager) helps. However, this strategy is defeated when the complexity of collective behavior increases beyond the complexity of an individual. Networks allowing more direct lateral interactions do not suffer from this limitation.
  • From this argument it is possible to begin to understand processes of historical change in human organizational structures. Human organizations exist within an environment that places demands upon them. If the complexity of these demands exceeds the complexity of an organization, the organization will be likely to fail. Thus, those organizations that survive must have a complexity sufficiently large to respond to the complexity of environmental demands at the scale of these demands. As a result, a form of evolutionary change occurs due to competition. Competition is relevant because for human organizations, the environment itself is formed in part out of organizations of human beings. According to this argument, one can expect a self-consistent process of complexity increase where competition between organizations causes the behavior of one organization to serve as part of the environment in which others must survive.
  • he history of human civilization reflects a progressive increase in the complexity of large scale behaviors. Early civilizations introduced a few relatively simple large scale behaviors by use of many individuals (slaves or soldiers) performing the same repetitive task. Progressive specialization with coordination increased the complexity of large scale behaviors. The industrial revolution accelerated this process which continues till today. When the complexity of collective behaviors increases beyond that of an individual human being then hierarchical controls become ineffective. Hierarchically controled systems must yield to networked systems. Note that a system which has fixed energy and material can change its complexity profile only by transfering activities from one scale to another. Increasing complexity at one scale must be compensated by decreasing complexity at another scale. However, an increasing human population, and the addition of sources of energy during the industrial revolution (coal, oil and gas), violated these conditions, enabling the complexity to increase on all scales. As indicated on the horizontal axis, the scale of human civilization also increased.
  • The most dramatic increases in the complexity of organizational behavior followed the industrial revolution. The use of new energy sources and automation enabled larger scale behavior in and of itself. This, in turn, enabled higher complexity behaviors of human systems because the amplification of the behavior to a larger scale can be accomplished by the use of energy rather than by task repetition.
  • A schematic history of human civilization reflects a growing complexity of the collective behavior of human organizations. The internal structure of organizations changed from the large branching ratio hierarchies of ancient civilizations, through decreasing branching ratios of massive hierarchical bureaucracies, to hybrid systems where lateral connections appear to be more important than the hierarchy. As the importance of lateral interactions increases, the boundaries between subsystems become porous. The increasing collective complexity also is manifest in the increaseing specialization and diversity of professions. Among the possible future organizational structures are fully networked systems where hierarchical structures are unimportant.
  • Amira . on 15 Jan 11
     
    Since time immemorial humans have complained that life is becoming more complex, but it is only now that we have a hope to analyze formally and verify this lament. This article analyzes the human social environment using the "complexity profile," a mathematical tool for characterizing the collective behavior of a system. The analysis is used to justify the qualitative observation that complexity of existence has increased and is increasing. The increase in complexity is directly related to sweeping changes in the structure and dynamics of human civilizationthe increasing interdependence of the global economic and social system and the instabilities of dictatorships, communism and corporate hierarchies. Our complex social environment is consistent with identifying global human civilization as an organism capable of complex behavior that protects its components (us) and which should be capable of responding effectively to complex environmental demands.
india art n design

Glifo - empowering the neurologically challenged! - 0 views

globalhop.indiaartndesign.com/...empowering-neurologically.html

industrial design product toy medical aid treatment rehab Tool

shared by india art n design on 02 May 16 - No Cached
  • india art n design on 02 May 16
     
    Rehab essentials for neurologically challenged kids, the Glifo writing and drawing tools aim at giving them a second chance at life. Read here and leave us your thoughts…
thinkahol *

#Revolution on Vimeo - 0 views

vimeo.com/35179159

#Revolution on Vimeo

shared by thinkahol * on 22 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • thinkahol * on 22 Jan 12
     
    An exploration of how the growth of social media sites-like Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook-have become tools for protest and revolutionary change in the U.S. and abroad.
thinkahol *

WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM by Steven Johnson - YouTube - 0 views

www.youtube.com/watch

WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM by Steven Johnson - YouTube

shared by thinkahol * on 05 Oct 11 - No Cached
  • thinkahol * on 05 Oct 11
     
    One of our most innovative, popular thinkers takes on-in exhilarating style-one of our key questions: Where do good ideas come from? With Where Good Ideas Come From, Steven Johnson pairs the insight of his bestselling Everything Bad Is Good for You and the dazzling erudition of The Ghost Map and The Invention of Air to address an urgent and universal question: What sparks the flash of brilliance? How does groundbreaking innovation happen? Answering in his infectious, culturally omnivorous style, using his fluency in fields from neurobiology to popular culture, Johnson provides the complete, exciting, and encouraging story of how we generate the ideas that push our careers, our lives, our society, and our culture forward. Beginning with Charles Darwin's first encounter with the teeming ecosystem of the coral reef and drawing connections to the intellectual hyperproductivity of modern megacities and to the instant success of YouTube, Johnson shows us that the question we need to ask is, What kind of environment fosters the development of good ideas? His answers are never less than revelatory, convincing, and inspiring as Johnson identifies the seven key principles to the genesis of such ideas, and traces them across time and disciplines. Most exhilarating is Johnson's conclusion that with today's tools and environment, radical innovation is extraordinarily accessible to those who know how to cultivate it. Where Good Ideas Come From is essential reading for anyone who wants to know how to come up with tomorrow's great ideas.
india art n design

Old-World Charm meets New-Age Norms... - 0 views

inditerrain.indiaartndesign.com/...charm-meets-new-age-norms.html

institutional architecture heritage architecture school building green design green laboratory

shared by india art n design on 20 Mar 15 - No Cached
  • india art n design on 20 Mar 15
     
    Don't you think school buildings with built-in sustainability features serve as excellent education tools in themselves? Read about one such school in Ootacamund and leave us your views.
india art n design

Geometry and colour define this interior! - 0 views

inditerrain.indiaartndesign.com/...lour-define-this-interior.html

residential interior design lifestyle design+décor home décor architecture

shared by india art n design on 22 Oct 18 - No Cached
  • india art n design on 22 Oct 18
     
    Patil Design Studio uses personalization that is the key to residential interiors as the design tool to carve out an elegant apartment in suburban Mumbai. Check out the simple approach that makes haven out of everyday musings…
india art n design

Gold Dust apartment: the habitat with the 'Midas' touch… - 0 views

inditerrain.indiaartndesign.com/...rtment-habitat-with-midas.html

residential interior design luxury lifestyles design+décor home décor architecture luxe living Home.

shared by india art n design on 19 Feb 19 - No Cached
  • india art n design on 19 Feb 19
     
    GA Design uses opulence as a tool to chisel understated flamboyance into this trendy Mumbai apartment for a young world-wise couple. Check it out here…
india art n design

Dhara | Mini Web Series| Ep.1| Motivational Moments with Artist Brinda Miller - 0 views

inditerrain.indiaartndesign.com/...b-series-ep1-motivational.html

motivation| positive thoughts| artist| words of wisdom| inspiration| quarantine life| message|

shared by india art n design on 17 Apr 20 - No Cached
  • india art n design on 17 Apr 20
     
    Especially for you, Artist Brinda Miller, known for her manifold talents as a creator talks about introspection as a potent tool in these unprecedented times. Ep.1 of this mini web series 'Dhara' Let's together harness the power of positivity.
india art n design

Calculated restraint amps up the interiors of Conrad New York Midtown - 0 views

globalhop.indiaartndesign.com/...straint-amps-up-interiors.html

interior design| restaurant commercial hospitality theme | lifestyle| luxury living| styling| leisure| shack| earthy interior|

shared by india art n design on 15 May 20 - No Cached
  • india art n design on 15 May 20
     
    Celebrated hospitality design firm Stonehill Taylor renovates the all-suite Conrad New York Midtown using restraint as a powerful tool to depict a seamless connection between contemporary design, curated art and space planning suited to the global traveller. Check it out here…
revisesociology

A Level Sociology Revision Resources - 0 views

revisesociology.com

A Level Sociology Revision Resources

shared by revisesociology on 18 Apr 22 - No Cached
  • revisesociology on 18 Apr 22
     
    Revise Sociology is a reliable and trustworthy A level sociology revision resources to get great marks. The team has been busy creating a wealth of digital resources, tools and materials to support your learning of our qualifications. You can find resources and tools to help you revise and prepare for your exam.
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