The Info Mesa

Ed Regis' book shows how Santa Fe became the nerve center of a movement which is changing the world. He documents the rise of dozens of companies which came to apply new methodologies, complexity science, chaos theory, nonlinear dynamics, artificial life, and so on to real world problems.

He traces the movement from Los Alamos where computer technology had exploded to deal with the complexity of nuclear physics to the Santa Fe Institute where an interdiscipinary approach to scientific research blossomed. The Institute would, "...blur the edges, merge the disciplines into a unique synthesis that was greater than the sum of its parts...large portions of empirical reality had been reduced to data...atoms, molecules, chemicals, proteins, genes cells...the planet itself...".

Years earlier, Mitchell Waldrop had written of the dawn of the complexity movement. Neoclassical economics had reduced "...the rich complexity of the world into a narrow set of abstract principles...when philosophers saw the cosmos as a ...vast clockwork device...governed by the Invisible Hand...small events could have large consequences..."

If there was ever a time for interdisciplinary, rigorous, creative, quantum thinking it is now. World markets are collapsing and entire countries are on the brink of collapse. Stimulus packages are being passed with little or no underestanding of how they might work.

Using the perspective of complexity science, levened by actuarial science, policymakers can test alternative approaches against alternative scenarios and dynamically choose those most likely to succeed. They could answer questions like, "What is the likelihood that the stimulus will raise the standard of living 30% within 9 months, and 50% after 18 months?"

Wouldn't that create more confidence than the current mantra," No one knows what to do...or what will happen if we do do"

The future of the US and world economies may be at stake. We may only get one chance.

We must do it right.

Yes we can.

Lee