A journey through complexity theory and our networked society, exploring how we got it wrong and the exponential growth in human capability.

1. The Discovery of Complexity

2. We humans are virtuosic pattern-spotters…

3. We learn through pattern recognition & storytelling

4. ‘ Those who tell the stories rule society’ [Plato]

5. We’re masters of inductive reasoning

6. Drawing conclusions from patchy information in ambiguous environments

7. Our behaviour is the opposite of perfect rationality

9. = Much of traditional economic theory is broken

11. So what?

12. Humans don’t operate within an equilibrium system

13. Our world is a complex adaptive system … dependent on networks

14. If a system reaches a state of equilibrium it’s essentially dead

15. We no longer seek perfection, but agility http://www.flickr.com/photos/97968921@N00/2066174371/sizes/o/

16. Every organism needs to eliminate its waste products or else it poisons itself [Drucker]

17. The more massive an object the more energy is required to change its direction

19. Simple rules > complex behaviour Complex rules > stupid behaviour

20. New business models embrace our inherent sociability http://www.flickr.com/photos/eelssej_/394781835/sizes/o/

21. ‘ The internet and associated technologies are so powerful because they unleash our social souls....our incredible desire and need to live our lives in the company of others, to be social creatures’ - Mark Earls

24. The amount of solar energy we’re creating is doubling every 2 years That means we’re just 8 doublings away from meeting 100% of our energy needs And there’s 10,000 times more sunlight than we need

25. There’s a direct correlation between GDP growth & mobile use

26. Technology makes the invisible visible

27. Enabling everyday citizens to play a role in protecting the planet

28. Giving voice to the people who are willing to work to see a better world

29. Open data enables medical treatments to be made quickly

30. ‘ Pessimism is a luxury of good times… in difficult times, pessimism is a self-fulfilling, self-inflicted death sentence’ [Evelin Lindner]