More good questions. The easy way to solve that is to recognize that you may not be able to answer all the questions you'd like, but you can answer some. Just be smart. With natural complex systems pay attention to the questions you can answer!!
The fact that no physical thing can be 'adequately' represented to satisfy the old scientific model of the designs of nature, doesn't mean the parts that *can* be usefully represented aren't perhaps more valid than the old model itself in the domains beyond which that perspective effectively applies. These are just tools, no?? Put down the hammer when you need a screw driver... Phil Henshaw ¸¸¸¸.·´ ¯ `·.¸¸¸¸ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 680 Ft. Washington Ave NY NY 10040 tel: 212-795-4844 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] explorations: www.synapse9.com > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Nicholas Thompson > Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2007 1:15 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [FRIAM] RE Complexity and dispair. > > > Ok, let me ask the question less coyly. Most of the impact > of complexity has been to tunnel under and loosen the > foundations of ordinary science. > Is that correct, or is it not? One of the important messages of > complexity is that no matter what we know about a process, we > cannot ever know what it is going to do next. It is like the > problem of induction: no matter how much evidence we collect > for the proposition that Grass is green, that evidence > equally supports the proposition that grass is "grue", i.e., > green up til the time we stopped measuring it, and blue > thereafter. So in order to do any inference, we have to > believe aprori that properties like grue are just shitty > properties and we arent going to consider them. But think of > some of those models in A NEW KIND OF SCIENCE that are > "green" for a gazillion repllications only suddenly to bloom > into "blueness" on the 34, 739th run. Surely complexity > tells us that there is Grueness in the world. > > What can complexity science do other than humble us all? If > scientists dont induct, then they dont DEduct because every > deduction requires an induction along the way. So what DO we > do? Build social consensus? > Ugh!!!! > > Nick > > > > > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
