Eric Berlow: Simplifying complexity

http://www.ted.com Ecologist Eric Berlow doesn't feel overwhelmed when faced with complex systems. He knows that more information can lead to a better, simpler solution. Illustrating the tips and tricks for breaking down big issues, he distills an overwhelming infographic on U.S. strategy in Afghanistan to a few elementary points.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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[Pedraquebrota]

needed more time seriously!

[CHAS1422]

Good topic, but too short

[samala51]

you can say that again

[Nihal Muradoglu]

simlifying happens with the colour line drawned connected points ..clear show of links -mind mapping .. create clusters and seperate them in caos.

many things all things are complex-i because nterconnected..

[Nihal Muradoglu]

looking into multipleintellige and interdeciplinary works how to use 360 degree

look for analize and sentesize and use NLP to find the one bric to change to start the

ignition as simple down work from complexity and see it

[Nihal Muradoglu]

to understand better look into mind mapping in google/and to humanrights org /newtactics

[Karl Arvidson]

allways is



[Harry Felps]

Interesting but largely incorrect! Chaos Theory research shows that simple things drive complex observations. Mostly you'll be overwhelmed by too much information. You need to apply a filter to reduce it - as an example of what happens when you know how to do this Google "Prime Number Channels" - look at his maths papers on prime numbers - figure out why others missed what he found. Eric also applies a filter which goes against his main thrust of more info is better!

[thofou76]

I guess you mean that *complicatedness* is a perception, don't you?

So, when you say that a system can be complex, but whether or not it's complicated depends on the capacities of the mind that studies it - well, I would agree! :-)

BTW: I think there's nothing wrong with arguing over semantics. Clear definitions of the words we use is the basis for useful communication.

Good day to you too!

[sinprelic]

yep, but isn't that the difference between 'complex' and 'complicated'? what i meant to say was that truly complicated things don't exist often in scientific models and theories. complex exists, sure. but complex is a perception, not a statement about reality. i think we're just arguing over semantics :-) good day!

[thofou76]

Even if a system is built up of simple and limited components, the resulting system can become very complex. Ever tried to write a computer program in assembly language? ;-)