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{{g}}[[All other things being equal]], a bummer. A violation of [[Occam’s razor]]; a source of confusion, a time-sink, a material contributor to catastrophic [[normal accident]]s; a ''[[waste]]'' — yet in a distributed network of autonomous bodies, a total inevitability. The more sophisticated the group of individuals, the greater the rate of | {{g}}[[All other things being equal]], a bummer. A violation of [[Occam’s razor]]; a source of confusion, a time-sink, a material contributor to catastrophic [[normal accident]]s; a ''[[waste]]'' — yet in a [[distributed network]] of autonomous bodies, a total inevitability. The more sophisticated the group of individuals, the greater the rate of complexification. | ||
===Complication versus complexity=== | |||
Things can be merely [[complicated]] without being [[complex]]. ''Complicated'' problems are naturally difficult, but you can solve them with rules and [[algorithm]]s. The systems and processes, by which The Man commands and controls employees can manage this kind of ''complicatedness''. | |||
[[Algorithm]]s, systems and processes ''don’t'' work for [[complex]] problems, however. Complex problems involve independent, autonomous agents interacting in un-anticipatable ways. No pre-defined rule-set can anticipate the interactions. [[Black swan]]s, [[technology]] disruptions but also interlocking ''complicated'' systems (nuclear power plants, space shuttles, air-traffic control systems are [[complex]]. | |||
====Identify your systems==== | |||
Is your system simple, complicated or complex? | |||
*'''[[Simple]]''': suitable for checklists, recipes etc, where heuristics can overcome the hubris that comes with treating ''simple'' processes as ''trivial''. Disinfecting your instruments before performing heart surgery is simple, but not trivial. See: {{br|The Checklist Manifesto}} | |||
*'''[[Complicated]]''': complicated systems need skilled management, but the right hands can usually manage them successfully. You know you have a complicated system when there is a comprehensive and robust set of axioms and rules, and thus it is a matter of making sure that the proper models are being used for the situation at hand. [[Chess]] is a complicated system. [[Alpha Go]] is a complicated system. Do you hear that, {{author|Richard Susskind}}? | |||
*'''[[Complex]]''': Complex systems are dynamic, constantly changing, and interact with themselves and the envorinment in unexpected ways | |||
{{sa}} | {{sa}} | ||
*[[Barnacle]]s | *[[Barnacle]]s | ||
*{{br|Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies}} by the magnificent {{author|Charles Perrow}}. | *{{br|Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies}} by the magnificent {{author|Charles Perrow}}. | ||