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Consistency or change?

Consistency or change?

The new science of complex networks emphasises the importance of both the static and the dynamic in social systems. Such systems are in a perpetual state of change; however, patterns can and do emerge in such systems, which persist for a period of time. Since the Enlightenment, social scientists have focused on identifying persist patterns, […]

Nature or machine?

Nature or machine?

Explicitly or implicitly, we often invoke two different metaphors for social systems – natural selection and machines. The study of complex networks offers a conceptual framework that help us to go beyond metaphorical framings. It also offers a toolbox of new concepts, such as emergence and self-organisation, that help us make sense of the world […]

Rigid or Plastic?

Rigid or Plastic?

Human brains look remarkably similar, which might lead us to believe they are built the same and do not evolve over time. Neuroscientists have increasingly used the new field of complex networks to make sense of the brain, and have come to appreciate that, while the brain appears entirely rigid, it is in fact much […]

Luck or skill?

Luck or skill?

The name “backgammon” derives from two Persian words, “bakht”, which means “luck”, and “gamman”, which means skill. Complex networks, including human systems, are inherently uncertain – the future cannot be predicted with any degree of precision. Luck plays an important part in our lives. However, pattern recognition, and the ability to make sense of our […]

Micro or macro?

Micro or macro?

This picture shows the “Mandelbrot Set”, a type of “fractal” showing patterns that repeat themselves at all levels of scale. The study of complex networks provide a framework that is scale-free i.e. we can make sense of very small complex networks, including the human brain, and very large networks, such as the world economy. Indeed, […]