The hottest Complex Systems Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Technology Topics

Complexity Thoughts: Issue #46

Complexity Thoughts • 259 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
🔬 Science Ecology Evolution Neuroscience Human behavior Complex Systems
  1. Biodiversity is important for the stability of ecosystems, as different species contribute to their health and resilience. Losing biodiversity can harm not just the species we see, but also the tiny organisms that support them.
  2. Ecosystem synchrony is a concept that helps us understand how different ecosystems respond to changes in their environment. It looks at how similar patterns in ecosystem functions can reveal important information about their health.
  3. Belief dynamics show how people's beliefs change over time, influenced by their social networks. Understanding these dynamics can help tackle issues like misinformation and social conflict.

When I find myself in times of trouble, mother math comes to me

The Intrinsic Perspective • 9701 implied HN points • 30 Jan 25
📖 Philosophy Life Advice Mental health Statistics Personal Growth Complex Systems
  1. Life has ups and downs, and problems often come in clusters. It's normal to feel overwhelmed when things go wrong.
  2. When you're at a low point, remember that life is like a rollercoaster with many twists and turns. Things often improve after tough times.
  3. Statistically, when you feel at your worst, it might actually be the moment before things start to get better. Hang in there!

Complexity Thoughts: Issue #45

Complexity Thoughts • 139 implied HN points • 11 Oct 24
🔬 Science Evolution Artificial Intelligence Neuroscience Complex Systems
  1. New ideas in network science can help understand complex systems better. This approach looks at how systems behave over time, rather than just focusing on stable points.
  2. The evolution of multicellular organisms has led to many new species and ecosystems. Key innovations in multicellularity help organisms adapt and thrive in different environments.
  3. Research shows that convolutional neural networks (CNNs) face limits in recognizing patterns. This limitation is linked to the complexity of the data they're trained on, raising questions about their reliability.

Create good problems to have

Subconscious • 830 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Innovation Tech Culture Community Building Complex Systems Social Networks
  1. Create good problems to have after the flywheel is already spinning, during rapid growth, which motivates the ecosystem to solve problems.
  2. Avoid building perfect technology as it leads to front-loading work, needing an ecosystem flywheel, and inability to anticipate scale problems.
  3. Creating good problems to have encourages co-evolution with the community and provides opportunities for others to contribute.
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Can Anything Good Come from Gaza? How Western Science is Collapsing.

The Seneca Effect • 176 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🔬 Science Research Publication Peer Review Complex Systems
  1. The attempt to improve science by 'free-access publishing' has led to unintended consequences, like the proliferation of mediocre papers.
  2. The concentration of scientific power in a few elite institutions is not enough to drive innovation and creativity, mirroring the limitations faced by the Roman Empire.
  3. The collapse of science, exemplified by issues in scientific publishing, aligns with systemic collapses and may indicate the need for renewal through unconventional sources and unconventional ideas.

I didn't go to my graduation

The Nature of Training • 19 implied HN points • 16 Jun 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Training Performance Cycling Complex Systems
  1. Feeling frustrated and disappointed from traditional sports science education led to a journey of self-discovery and obsession with Complex Systems.
  2. Transitioning from competitive cycling to coaching unlocked new patterns and aspects influencing performance, beyond traditional theory.
  3. Discovering the Science of Complexity provided a new lens to address training problems and integrate diverse passions into a coherent field.

The Wisdom To Choose Action or Inaction

Who is Robert Malone • 14 implied HN points • 04 Nov 24
📖 Philosophy Ethics Social Sciences Complex Systems Political theory Human behavior
  1. It's important to understand the difference between complicated systems, like computers, and complex systems, like ecosystems or human societies. Complex systems are unpredictable and can't always be controlled with precise interventions.
  2. When dealing with complex systems, sometimes it's better to wait and observe rather than rush to act. Taking a careful, incremental approach can help prevent unintended consequences.
  3. Censorship and forced social engineering can hinder our ability to adapt and learn from experiences. Encouraging free communication and decentralized thinking is crucial for innovation and growth.

The future of work: Pt 1:

The Jolly Contrarian • 39 implied HN points • 06 Nov 23
💼 Business Future of work Remote work Complex Systems
  1. Lockdown during the pandemic was a chance to test new ways of working and learn important lessons for the future of work.
  2. The discussion around the future of office work is divided between those who believe everything has changed and those who advocate for returning to the traditional office setting.
  3. Human systems and behaviors are complex, and real change in the commercial world takes time to unfold as it depends on deep-seated cultural layers and incentives.

How do we make sense of all of this?

Sunday Letters • 39 implied HN points • 18 Jun 23
🕹 Technology AI Data science Workplace Innovation Complex Systems
  1. It's normal to feel overwhelmed with all the rapid changes in technology and AI. Many people are struggling to keep up, and that's okay.
  2. Using first principles can help us find clarity in confusing situations. Focusing on what's truly important and how things work can guide our understanding.
  3. Looking at data and history can help us make sense of current trends. By finding patterns and using math, we can better understand the complexities of new technologies.

Twitter, Threads, and the misunderstood nature of engineering

Midnight Manager • 19 implied HN points • 12 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Engineering Social media Complex Systems
  1. Predictions in the heat of the moment may not always be accurate, it's better to avoid making them.
  2. Complex systems engineering involves problem-solving, invention, and durable product creation, not immediate catastrophic failures if work stops.
  3. Building and managing internet-scale systems like Twitter is extremely challenging due to the complexity of relationships between system components.

Fire, rebirth, and pace layers

The Jolly Contrarian • 59 implied HN points • 24 Jun 22
🚌 Education Complex Systems
  1. The Great Fire of London in 1666 presented a unique opportunity to reimagine and optimize the city but ultimately, London was rebuilt exactly as it was, showing how persistent and resilient systems can be.
  2. Complex adaptive systems, like cities, operate on different time scales with layers such as nature, culture, governance, infrastructure, commerce, and fashion, each dependent on the layers below.
  3. Lasting change in a complex system requires either a new shock it has not yet experienced or a transformative opportunity that existing layers cannot exploit, showing the need to understand the depth at which change must occur.

Goal creates the functioning

The Nature of Training • 1 HN point • 06 Jul 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Physiology Complex Systems Training
  1. Biomimetics uses natural organisms as inspiration to create innovative technology, like airplanes inspired by bird wings and Velcro by burdock seeds.
  2. The traditional view of organisms as machines with replaceable parts is being challenged, with organisms seen as complex systems that self-organize to maintain equilibrium and adapt to their environments.
  3. Understanding an organism's purpose and stimuli is more important than focusing on its individual parts, allowing for better responses to training and health needs.

The Technology Pressures on World Systems

The Digital Anthropologist • 19 implied HN points • 16 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Digital Economic Complex Systems Information
  1. Human societies are currently experiencing an unprecedented number of technological revolutions driven by digital technologies.
  2. The simultaneous arrival of multiple revolutionary technologies is putting immense pressure on sociocultural and socioeconomic systems.
  3. To navigate through the current period of immense change, collaboration between different fields like anthropology, sociology, and technology is crucial.

Lost Ways of Knowing

The Bigger Picture • 59 implied HN points • 14 Feb 20
📖 Philosophy Cognition Wisdom Embodiment Complex Systems Perception
  1. We are facing a meaning crisis, losing connections to our roots and historical trajectory, which impacts our politics and the environment.
  2. Different 'memetic tribes' are constructing maps of reality, leading to polarization and closed ways of perceiving the world.
  3. To navigate the complexity, we need to embrace lost ways of knowing, balance left and right brain functions, and engage in participatory learning to understand and connect with our environment.

When the tide goes out

do clouds feel vertigo? • 0 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🔬 Science Physics Biology Neuroscience Complex Systems Thermodynamics
  1. We all have internal rhythms that control our daily life, like how we breathe and sleep. These rhythms have critical points where they shift from one state to another.
  2. When something shifts between two states, like being calm and angry, it’s similar to how systems in nature move from order to disorder. This helps us understand how change happens.
  3. Counting breaths can help us manage our emotions better. Instead of saying 'I'll see you later,' we can measure time in breaths for more peace and balance.

For alignment, we should simultaneously use multiple theories of cognition and value

Engineering Ideas • 0 implied HN points • 24 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI safety Cognition Ethics Complex Systems
  1. Multiple theories of cognition and value should be used simultaneously for alignment.
  2. Focus on engineering the alignment process rather than trying to solve the alignment problem with a single theory.
  3. Having diversity in approaches across AGI labs can be more beneficial than sticking to a single alignment theory.

The Digital Age & Social Structures

The Digital Anthropologist • 0 implied HN points • 09 Jan 23
🕹 Technology Digital Age Social Structures Society Complex Systems
  1. Technological revolutions throughout history have led to profound impacts on societies, economies, and social structures.
  2. The current digital age is characterized by rapid and deep changes, driven by computer technology, the internet, and combinations of innovative technologies.
  3. Digital technologies like social media, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrencies are reshaping societal norms, behaviors, laws, and traditions, necessitating a multidisciplinary approach for understanding and navigating these changes.

Book Review: Why Machines Will Never Rule the World

The Grey Matter • 0 implied HN points • 17 Jul 23
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Complex Systems Neural Networks
  1. The book emphasizes that machines will never rule the world, as AGI is fundamentally impossible due to computational limitations.
  2. The definitions of intelligence and machine intelligence play a crucial role in the argument against AGI.
  3. Language, context-dependence, and complex systems are central themes analyzed in the book to challenge the possibility of AGI.