The butterfly effect is illustrated using a light source attached at the free end of double pendulum. This set of long exposure pictures shows the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state can result in large differences in a later state, i.e. "small causes can have larger effects". As can be observed, each light trace pattern (each picture) is unique.
The butterfly effect is illustrated using a light source attached at the free end of double pendulum. This set of long exposure pictures shows the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state can result in large differences in a later state, i.e. "small causes can have larger effects". As can be observed, each light trace pattern (each picture) is unique.

Emergence Explained with David Krakauer

Cristian V., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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About This Episode

What is life? What is intelligence? What is… complexity? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly learn how complexity science, chaos theory, and emergence could be the key to understanding our place in the universe with David Krakauer, president of the Santa Fe Institute and professor in complex systems. 

If chemistry is universal, could music be? We dive into what makes something “universal,” why Mars is inhabited by robots, and how cities, economies, and societies exhibit emergent behaviors. We explore the roots of complexity science, from steam engines to organisms, and how early thinkers laid the groundwork for studying order in chaos. 

What does it mean to call something “emergent”? We break down the definition of emergence, chaos theory, and its relationship to math, physics, biology, economics, and psychology. We discuss humans as individual particles and when the unpredictable becomes predictable. How do we get order out of disorder? We break down how intelligence isn’t just about answers, it’s about understanding. We examine AI, fake knowledge vs. real problem-solving, and whether life itself is a computational process.

Can consciousness be measured? Are we intelligent, or just clever tools using even cleverer tools? We break down how problem-solving matter transcends what it’s made of. Where does creativity come from? Plus, if life is problem-solving matter, what is the problem it is trying to solve? 

Thanks to our Patrons teonie, Dixie Gamoning, Greg Meyer, Mike Bilodeau, Mitchell Keesler, john hutt, Karen Buss, The Merry Widow, Casandra Martin, Swaraj Jaiswal, Hoang Nguyen, Knooble Gooble, Panainte Victor, Peter Jensen, Rajesh Bhaidasna, Victor Pomales, George Mulder, Life Space and the Lot, RandomBrian423, blitzgrub, Travis Bridges, Sreya Kumpatla, Erik Scheirer, Natalie Tabor, SwaZam!, KILOCREAMYY, Lisa Peldiak, Tosin Awofeso, Joe Buzz, daevon pearson, Amie Christy, Simone Adair, Philippe, Logan Davis, Ted Parsons, Macs Ton, Ben, Quentin Ferguson, Ash De Zylva, Evalena Marie, Nancy Bijok, Jacob Garcia, The Preschool Doctor, Amber Shaw, Erin, ilya, Kevin Nguyen, Austin Weets, and Alan G for supporting us this week.

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