Web Biology 101 Phil Blything Director Glow New Media

“… the Internet is the most complex and interconnected thing that mankind has ever produced…” Phil Blything, Last Thursday, about teatime

“… the Internet is the most complex and interconnected thing that mankind has ever produced…” Phil Blything, Last Thursday, about teatime

COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS Dynamic network of agents acting in parallel, the control of a CAS tends to be highly dispersed and decentralized. Coherent behaviour in the system tends to arise from competition and cooperation among the agents themselves. The overall behaviour of the system is the result of a huge number of decisions made every moment by many individual agents. CAS require “Emergence” and “Self Organisation”

Dynamic network of agents acting in parallel, the control of a CAS tends to be highly dispersed and decentralized.

Coherent behaviour in the system tends to arise from competition and cooperation among the agents themselves.

The overall behaviour of the system is the result of a huge number of decisions made every moment by many individual agents.

CAS require “Emergence” and “Self Organisation”

EMERGENCE The World Wide Web (WWW) is a popular example of a decentralized system exhibiting emergent properties. (Wikipedia) No central organisation Emergent order from apparent chaos

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a popular example of a decentralized system exhibiting emergent properties. (Wikipedia)

No central organisation

Emergent order from apparent chaos

SELF ORGANISATION Self-organization is a process in which the internal organization of a system, normally an open system, increases in complexity without being guided or managed by an outside source. Self-organizing systems typically (though not always) display emergent properties.

Self-organization is a process in which the internal organization of a system, normally an open system, increases in complexity without being guided or managed by an outside source.

Self-organizing systems typically (though not always) display emergent properties.

EXAMPLES OF C.A.S. The Cell Stock Market Embryo Biosphere & Ecosystems Immune System Ant Colonies & Social Hymenoptera

The Cell

Stock Market

Embryo

Biosphere & Ecosystems

Immune System

Ant Colonies & Social Hymenoptera

BIOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES Taxonomy Ecosystems Feedback Self Organisation Competition Fitness for environment Behavioural Ecology

Taxonomy

Ecosystems

Feedback

Self Organisation

Competition

Fitness for environment

Behavioural Ecology

INTERNET EXAMPLES digg / del.icio.us upcoming Technorati Wikipedia Google Last.fm facebook

digg / del.icio.us

upcoming

Technorati

Wikipedia

Google

Last.fm

facebook

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