Lately I’m working with ideas of emergent properties and complex systems. Emergent phenomena are self-organizing phenomena, with patterns that arise from interactions of individual parts. Complex systems can arise by very simple “rules” of behavior often with many individuals and/or over long periods of time. Some examples of emergent phenomena are bird flocks, ant colonies, growth of cities, neural development, the internet, mycorrhizal networks in forests, epidemics, etc.

I’m experimenting with some ideas for visual representation of emergence. These are some early conceptual sketches. I start with repeated elements that follow simple rules or patterns. Then I introduce different elements that have their own patterns to see how they might respond to each other.

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I’m drawn to emergent phenomena for two reasons. I’ve observed that the stickiest challenges in science communication involve emergence and complexity. Climate change, pandemics, and evolution are key examples that spring to mind. I also find them beautiful and fascinating. Collective animal behavior like murmurations of birds and patterns of fish schooling is especially mesmerizing to me. If you’re interested in reading more about emergence and complexity, Santa Fe Institute has a lot of great resources, including courses at Complexity Explorer..

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