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“Natural systems”

A beehive, anthill, a flock of birds are formidable examples of natural, complex structures where single interacting elements following simple rules lead to a deeply detailed system that can determine new, unforeseeable, original forms of behaviour.
The scientific approach to complexity allows us to analyse the study the structure of natural systems, from how a single cell or organic structure such as the brain works, to the organisation of large eco-systems.

What opportunities does this offer for the prevention of natural calamities (like earthquakes and floods), or understanding the weather or protecting the environment? How can we add value to, and defend biodiversity, which is so fundamental to improving species and how they adapt to the environment? Can a complexity-based approach be a determining factor in understanding what life itself really is? And what ethical consequences are there for man placed at the centre of the universe by traditional science and now finding himself just one element in the entire “terrestrial system”?

 

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