Earth Awareness and Climate Change Reality for Science Fans

Earth Awareness Program
Complex Systems
with David Oertel

David will talk about some simple complex systems concepts. Some examples of complex systems are: a brain, an ant colony, a flock of birds, a hurricane, and the U.S. economic system. What IS a complex system? How does it achieve sophisticated behavior without centralized control? What is non-linearity and “sensitivity to initial conditions?” What are “cellular automata” and how do they help us understand complex systems? And how do complex systems challenge classical notions of determinism! These and other subjects related to complex systems will be presented and discussed. A slide-show introduction to complex systems may be included in David’s presentation. Participants will be encouraged to express their reactions, if they want.

Feel free to bring your own sources regarding these issues to share!

Humanist Hall is wheelchair accessible around the corner at 411 28th Street

$5 donations are expected