Complexity and Co-evolution

Complexity and Co-evolution

Author: Elizabeth Garnsey

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2006-01-01

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 1847202926

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. . . in my opinion. . . readers. . . should find in this book both several remarkable insights concerning basic statements of evolutionary theorising and concrete results that can be acquired by applying such basic statements in computer simulation models and in various fields of analysis. Mauro Lombardi, The Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation Complexity theory first emerged three decades or so ago, but only recently has its potential relevance for the study of social and economic phenomena really begun to be recognised. This timely collection of essays clearly demonstrates, both conceptually and empirically, how complexity theory ideas can provide considerable insight into how socio-economic systems cities, societies, industries, technologies and economies evolve and adapt over time. It is essential reading for anyone interested in how order and evolution emerge out of the seemingly chaotic socio-economic world around us. Ron Martin, University of Cambridge, UK I read Complexity and Co-Evolution with real pleasure. These authors have done the near impossible they have made the concepts of a new and evolving science accessible to people who can apply it in practical ways. The clarity of writing reflects the sort of confidence only the truly informed can muster, for they need no jargon to cover confusions. Their mastery allows them to present the essentials in simple, unadorned forms and through genuinely illustrative examples. Any manager or director trying to navigate dynamic markets can use this book to learn new ways of thinking, explore new possibilities, and study historical experiences. Robert Artigiani, United States Naval Academy Current thinking about evolutionary dynamics increasingly relies on co-evolution, and co-evolution increasingly implies complex dynamics of one sort or another. This volume brings together a capable and well-balanced group of thinkers on these topics who explore these deeply related concepts with up-to-date and advanced tools and concepts. For anyone wishing to learn about the latest developments in these rapidly developing areas, this book is highly recommended. J. Barkley Rosser Jr., James Madison University, US This book applies ideas and methods from the complexity perspective to key concerns in the social sciences, exploring co-evolutionary processes that have not yet been addressed in the technical or popular literature on complexity. Authorities in a variety of fields including evolutionary economics, innovation and regeneration studies, urban modelling and history re-evaluate their disciplines within this framework. The book explores the complex dynamic processes that give rise to socio-economic change over space and time, with reference to empirical cases including the emergence of knowledge-intensive industries and decline of mature regions, the operation of innovative networks and the evolution of localities and cities. Sustainability is a persistent theme and the practicability of intervention is examined in the light of these perspectives. Specialists in disciplines that include economics, evolutionary theory, innovation, industrial manufacturing, technology change, and archaeology will find much to interest them in this book. In addition, the strong interdisciplinary emphasis of the book will attract a non-specialist audience interested in keeping abreast of current theoretical and methodological approaches through evidence-based and practical examples.


Book Synopsis Complexity and Co-evolution by : Elizabeth Garnsey

Download or read book Complexity and Co-evolution written by Elizabeth Garnsey and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: . . . in my opinion. . . readers. . . should find in this book both several remarkable insights concerning basic statements of evolutionary theorising and concrete results that can be acquired by applying such basic statements in computer simulation models and in various fields of analysis. Mauro Lombardi, The Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation Complexity theory first emerged three decades or so ago, but only recently has its potential relevance for the study of social and economic phenomena really begun to be recognised. This timely collection of essays clearly demonstrates, both conceptually and empirically, how complexity theory ideas can provide considerable insight into how socio-economic systems cities, societies, industries, technologies and economies evolve and adapt over time. It is essential reading for anyone interested in how order and evolution emerge out of the seemingly chaotic socio-economic world around us. Ron Martin, University of Cambridge, UK I read Complexity and Co-Evolution with real pleasure. These authors have done the near impossible they have made the concepts of a new and evolving science accessible to people who can apply it in practical ways. The clarity of writing reflects the sort of confidence only the truly informed can muster, for they need no jargon to cover confusions. Their mastery allows them to present the essentials in simple, unadorned forms and through genuinely illustrative examples. Any manager or director trying to navigate dynamic markets can use this book to learn new ways of thinking, explore new possibilities, and study historical experiences. Robert Artigiani, United States Naval Academy Current thinking about evolutionary dynamics increasingly relies on co-evolution, and co-evolution increasingly implies complex dynamics of one sort or another. This volume brings together a capable and well-balanced group of thinkers on these topics who explore these deeply related concepts with up-to-date and advanced tools and concepts. For anyone wishing to learn about the latest developments in these rapidly developing areas, this book is highly recommended. J. Barkley Rosser Jr., James Madison University, US This book applies ideas and methods from the complexity perspective to key concerns in the social sciences, exploring co-evolutionary processes that have not yet been addressed in the technical or popular literature on complexity. Authorities in a variety of fields including evolutionary economics, innovation and regeneration studies, urban modelling and history re-evaluate their disciplines within this framework. The book explores the complex dynamic processes that give rise to socio-economic change over space and time, with reference to empirical cases including the emergence of knowledge-intensive industries and decline of mature regions, the operation of innovative networks and the evolution of localities and cities. Sustainability is a persistent theme and the practicability of intervention is examined in the light of these perspectives. Specialists in disciplines that include economics, evolutionary theory, innovation, industrial manufacturing, technology change, and archaeology will find much to interest them in this book. In addition, the strong interdisciplinary emphasis of the book will attract a non-specialist audience interested in keeping abreast of current theoretical and methodological approaches through evidence-based and practical examples.


The Evolution of Human Co-operation

The Evolution of Human Co-operation

Author: Charles Stanish

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2017-08-03

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 1316851710

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How do people living in small groups without money, markets, police and rigid social classes develop norms of economic and social cooperation that are sustainable over time? This book addresses this fundamental question and explains the origin, structure and spread of stateless societies. Using insights from game theory, ethnography and archaeology, Stanish shows how ritual - broadly defined - is the key. Ritual practices encode elaborate rules of behavior and are ingenious mechanisms of organizing society in the absence of coercive states. As well as asking why and how people choose to co-operate, Stanish also provides the theoretical framework to understand this collective action problem. He goes on to highlight the evolution of cooperation with ethnographic and archaeological data from around of the world. Merging evolutionary game theory concepts with cultural evolutionary theory, this book will appeal to those seeking a transdisciplinary approach to one of the greatest problems in human evolution.


Book Synopsis The Evolution of Human Co-operation by : Charles Stanish

Download or read book The Evolution of Human Co-operation written by Charles Stanish and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-08-03 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do people living in small groups without money, markets, police and rigid social classes develop norms of economic and social cooperation that are sustainable over time? This book addresses this fundamental question and explains the origin, structure and spread of stateless societies. Using insights from game theory, ethnography and archaeology, Stanish shows how ritual - broadly defined - is the key. Ritual practices encode elaborate rules of behavior and are ingenious mechanisms of organizing society in the absence of coercive states. As well as asking why and how people choose to co-operate, Stanish also provides the theoretical framework to understand this collective action problem. He goes on to highlight the evolution of cooperation with ethnographic and archaeological data from around of the world. Merging evolutionary game theory concepts with cultural evolutionary theory, this book will appeal to those seeking a transdisciplinary approach to one of the greatest problems in human evolution.


Evolution, Order and Complexity

Evolution, Order and Complexity

Author: Kenneth Boulding

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2002-01-04

Total Pages: 398

ISBN-13: 1134775849

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Evolution, Order and Complexity reflects topical interest in the relationship between the social and natural worlds. It represents the cutting edge of current thinking which challenges the natural/social dichotomy thesis by showing how the application of ideas which derive from biology can be applied and offer insight into the social realm. This is done by introducing the general system theory to the methodological debate on the relation of human and natural sciences.


Book Synopsis Evolution, Order and Complexity by : Kenneth Boulding

Download or read book Evolution, Order and Complexity written by Kenneth Boulding and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-01-04 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evolution, Order and Complexity reflects topical interest in the relationship between the social and natural worlds. It represents the cutting edge of current thinking which challenges the natural/social dichotomy thesis by showing how the application of ideas which derive from biology can be applied and offer insight into the social realm. This is done by introducing the general system theory to the methodological debate on the relation of human and natural sciences.


Innovation, Evolution and Complexity Theory

Innovation, Evolution and Complexity Theory

Author: Koen Frenken

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2006-03-29

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 9781781956410

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The motivation behind this book is the desire to integrate complexity theory into economic models of technological evolution. By means of developing an evolutionary model of complex technological systems, the book contributes to the neo-Schumpetarian literature on innovation, diffusion and technological paradigms.


Book Synopsis Innovation, Evolution and Complexity Theory by : Koen Frenken

Download or read book Innovation, Evolution and Complexity Theory written by Koen Frenken and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2006-03-29 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The motivation behind this book is the desire to integrate complexity theory into economic models of technological evolution. By means of developing an evolutionary model of complex technological systems, the book contributes to the neo-Schumpetarian literature on innovation, diffusion and technological paradigms.


Coevolution

Coevolution

Author: William H. Durham

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 658

ISBN-13: 9780804721561

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Charles Darwin's "On the Origins of Species" had two principal goals: to show that species had not been separately created and to show that natural selection had been the main force behind their proliferation and descent from common ancestors. In "Coevolution," the author proposes a powerful new theory of cultural evolution--that is, of the descent with modification of the shared conceptual systems we call "cultures"--that is parallel in many ways to Darwin's theory of organic evolution. The author suggests that a process of cultural selection, or preservation by preference, driven chiefly by choice or imposition depending on the circumstances, has been the main but not exclusive force of cultural change. He shows that this process gives rise to five major patterns or "modes" in which cultural change is at odds with genetic change. Each of the five modes is discussed in some detail and its existence confirmed through one or more case studies chosen for their heuristic value, the robustness of their data, and their broader implications. But "Coevolution" predicts not simply the existence of the five modes of gene-culture relations; it also predicts their relative importance in the ongoing dynamics of cultural change in particular cases. The case studies themselves are lucid and innovative reexaminations of an array of oft-pondered anthropological topics--plural marriage, sickle-cell anemia, basic color terms, adult lactose absorption, incest taboos, headhunting, and cannibalism. In a general case, the author's goal is to demonstrate that an evolutionary analysis of both genes and culture has much to contribute to our understanding of human diversity, particularly behavioral diversity, and thus to the resolution of age-old questions about nature and nurture, genes and culture.


Book Synopsis Coevolution by : William H. Durham

Download or read book Coevolution written by William H. Durham and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 1991 with total page 658 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charles Darwin's "On the Origins of Species" had two principal goals: to show that species had not been separately created and to show that natural selection had been the main force behind their proliferation and descent from common ancestors. In "Coevolution," the author proposes a powerful new theory of cultural evolution--that is, of the descent with modification of the shared conceptual systems we call "cultures"--that is parallel in many ways to Darwin's theory of organic evolution. The author suggests that a process of cultural selection, or preservation by preference, driven chiefly by choice or imposition depending on the circumstances, has been the main but not exclusive force of cultural change. He shows that this process gives rise to five major patterns or "modes" in which cultural change is at odds with genetic change. Each of the five modes is discussed in some detail and its existence confirmed through one or more case studies chosen for their heuristic value, the robustness of their data, and their broader implications. But "Coevolution" predicts not simply the existence of the five modes of gene-culture relations; it also predicts their relative importance in the ongoing dynamics of cultural change in particular cases. The case studies themselves are lucid and innovative reexaminations of an array of oft-pondered anthropological topics--plural marriage, sickle-cell anemia, basic color terms, adult lactose absorption, incest taboos, headhunting, and cannibalism. In a general case, the author's goal is to demonstrate that an evolutionary analysis of both genes and culture has much to contribute to our understanding of human diversity, particularly behavioral diversity, and thus to the resolution of age-old questions about nature and nurture, genes and culture.


Cosmic Evolution

Cosmic Evolution

Author: Eric J. Chaisson

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2001-02-16

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0674009878

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Chaisson addresses some of the most basic issues we can contemplate: the origin of matter and the origin of life, and the ways matter, life, and radiation interact and change with time. He designs for us an expansive yet intricate model depicting the origin and evolution of all material structures.


Book Synopsis Cosmic Evolution by : Eric J. Chaisson

Download or read book Cosmic Evolution written by Eric J. Chaisson and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2001-02-16 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chaisson addresses some of the most basic issues we can contemplate: the origin of matter and the origin of life, and the ways matter, life, and radiation interact and change with time. He designs for us an expansive yet intricate model depicting the origin and evolution of all material structures.


International Relations in the Cyber Age

International Relations in the Cyber Age

Author: Nazli Choucri

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2019-04-09

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 0262038919

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A foundational analysis of the co-evolution of the internet and international relations, examining resultant challenges for individuals, organizations, firms, and states. In our increasingly digital world, data flows define the international landscape as much as the flow of materials and people. How is cyberspace shaping international relations, and how are international relations shaping cyberspace? In this book, Nazli Choucri and David D. Clark offer a foundational analysis of the co-evolution of cyberspace (with the internet as its core) and international relations, examining resultant challenges for individuals, organizations, and states. The authors examine the pervasiveness of power and politics in the digital realm, finding that the internet is evolving much faster than the tools for regulating it. This creates a “co-evolution dilemma”—a new reality in which digital interactions have enabled weaker actors to influence or threaten stronger actors, including the traditional state powers. Choucri and Clark develop a new method for addressing control in the internet age, “control point analysis,” and apply it to a variety of situations, including major actors in the international and digital realms: the United States, China, and Google. In doing so they lay the groundwork for a new international relations theory that reflects the reality in which we live—one in which the international and digital realms are inextricably linked and evolving together.


Book Synopsis International Relations in the Cyber Age by : Nazli Choucri

Download or read book International Relations in the Cyber Age written by Nazli Choucri and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2019-04-09 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A foundational analysis of the co-evolution of the internet and international relations, examining resultant challenges for individuals, organizations, firms, and states. In our increasingly digital world, data flows define the international landscape as much as the flow of materials and people. How is cyberspace shaping international relations, and how are international relations shaping cyberspace? In this book, Nazli Choucri and David D. Clark offer a foundational analysis of the co-evolution of cyberspace (with the internet as its core) and international relations, examining resultant challenges for individuals, organizations, and states. The authors examine the pervasiveness of power and politics in the digital realm, finding that the internet is evolving much faster than the tools for regulating it. This creates a “co-evolution dilemma”—a new reality in which digital interactions have enabled weaker actors to influence or threaten stronger actors, including the traditional state powers. Choucri and Clark develop a new method for addressing control in the internet age, “control point analysis,” and apply it to a variety of situations, including major actors in the international and digital realms: the United States, China, and Google. In doing so they lay the groundwork for a new international relations theory that reflects the reality in which we live—one in which the international and digital realms are inextricably linked and evolving together.


The Evolution of Complexity by Means of Natural Selection

The Evolution of Complexity by Means of Natural Selection

Author: John Tyler Bonner

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2020-12-08

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 0691222118

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John Tyler Bonner makes a new attack on an old problem: the question of how progressive increase in the size and complexity of animals and plants has occurred. "How is it," he inquires, "that an egg turns into an elaborate adult? How is it that a bacterium, given many millions of years, could have evolved into an elephant?" The author argues that we can understand this progression in terms of natural selection, but that in order to do so we must consider the role of development--or more precisely the role of life cycles--in evolutionary change. In a lively writing style that will be familiar to readers of his work The Evolution of Culture in Animals (Princeton, 1980), Bonner addresses a general audience interested in biology, as well as specialists in all areas of evolutionary biology. What is novel in the approach used here is the comparison of complexity inside the organism (especially cell differentiation) with the complexity outside (that is, within an ecological community). Matters of size at both these levels are closely related to complexity. The book shows how an understanding of the grand course of evolution can come from combining our knowledge of genetics, development, ecology, and even behavior.


Book Synopsis The Evolution of Complexity by Means of Natural Selection by : John Tyler Bonner

Download or read book The Evolution of Complexity by Means of Natural Selection written by John Tyler Bonner and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-12-08 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Tyler Bonner makes a new attack on an old problem: the question of how progressive increase in the size and complexity of animals and plants has occurred. "How is it," he inquires, "that an egg turns into an elaborate adult? How is it that a bacterium, given many millions of years, could have evolved into an elephant?" The author argues that we can understand this progression in terms of natural selection, but that in order to do so we must consider the role of development--or more precisely the role of life cycles--in evolutionary change. In a lively writing style that will be familiar to readers of his work The Evolution of Culture in Animals (Princeton, 1980), Bonner addresses a general audience interested in biology, as well as specialists in all areas of evolutionary biology. What is novel in the approach used here is the comparison of complexity inside the organism (especially cell differentiation) with the complexity outside (that is, within an ecological community). Matters of size at both these levels are closely related to complexity. The book shows how an understanding of the grand course of evolution can come from combining our knowledge of genetics, development, ecology, and even behavior.


That Complex Whole

That Complex Whole

Author: Lee Cronk

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-05-20

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 042996546X

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Our understanding of the evolution of human behavior has grown enormously over the past few decades, and an increasing number of behavioral and social scientists are making use of evolutionary theory in their work to shed light on issues ranging from marriage and parenting to the study of mental illness. The success of this research program is thre


Book Synopsis That Complex Whole by : Lee Cronk

Download or read book That Complex Whole written by Lee Cronk and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-05-20 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Our understanding of the evolution of human behavior has grown enormously over the past few decades, and an increasing number of behavioral and social scientists are making use of evolutionary theory in their work to shed light on issues ranging from marriage and parenting to the study of mental illness. The success of this research program is thre


The Coevolution

The Coevolution

Author: Edward Ashford Lee

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2020-04-21

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 0262043939

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Should digital technology be viewed as a new life form, sharing our ecosystem and coevolving with us? Are humans defining technology, or is technology defining humans? In this book, Edward Ashford Lee considers the case that we are less in control of the trajectory of technology than we think. It shapes us as much as we shape it, and it may be more defensible to think of technology as the result of a Darwinian coevolution than the result of top-down intelligent design. Richard Dawkins famously said that a chicken is an egg's way of making another egg. Is a human a computer's way of making another computer? To understand this question requires a deep dive into how evolution works, how humans are different from computers, and how the way technology develops resembles the emergence of a new life form on our planet. Lee presents the case for considering digital beings to be living, then offers counterarguments. What we humans do with our minds is more than computation, and what digital systems do—be teleported at the speed of light, backed up, and restored—may never be possible for humans. To believe that we are simply computations, he argues, is a “dataist” faith and scientifically indefensible. Digital beings depend on humans—and humans depend on digital beings. More likely than a planetary wipe-out of humanity is an ongoing, symbiotic coevolution of culture and technology.


Book Synopsis The Coevolution by : Edward Ashford Lee

Download or read book The Coevolution written by Edward Ashford Lee and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2020-04-21 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Should digital technology be viewed as a new life form, sharing our ecosystem and coevolving with us? Are humans defining technology, or is technology defining humans? In this book, Edward Ashford Lee considers the case that we are less in control of the trajectory of technology than we think. It shapes us as much as we shape it, and it may be more defensible to think of technology as the result of a Darwinian coevolution than the result of top-down intelligent design. Richard Dawkins famously said that a chicken is an egg's way of making another egg. Is a human a computer's way of making another computer? To understand this question requires a deep dive into how evolution works, how humans are different from computers, and how the way technology develops resembles the emergence of a new life form on our planet. Lee presents the case for considering digital beings to be living, then offers counterarguments. What we humans do with our minds is more than computation, and what digital systems do—be teleported at the speed of light, backed up, and restored—may never be possible for humans. To believe that we are simply computations, he argues, is a “dataist” faith and scientifically indefensible. Digital beings depend on humans—and humans depend on digital beings. More likely than a planetary wipe-out of humanity is an ongoing, symbiotic coevolution of culture and technology.