Abstract

As technology becomes more powerful we find ourselves managing increasingly complex systems. Designing rigid solutions in this domain is costly, inefficient, and brittle. However, many of our problems appear in natural systems, where robust solutions have developed. By adopting approaches developed by nature we may be able to better coordinate complex human systems such as economies, organizations, or individual research. Here I will present an example from my own career where concepts from the evolution of foraging behavior are applied to aid in reverse engineering, community development, and the navigation of complex information landscapes. Through this example I suggest the three lenses of (1) appropriate abstraction, (2) co-option of interfaces, and (3) system thinking to help approach complex problems.

About the speaker

Aidan Barbieux, Independent Researcher and recent master's student at California Polytechnic University 

Free of charge - All are welcome