Is Compexity going to do us in? it's complicated
COURSE FULL. TO GO ONTO WAITING LIST PLEASE E-MAIL US AT [email protected]
This may not be a bad time to examine the collapse of civilization. No, not the collapse in your world view that Trump represents but real collapse – when everything goes backwards to some earlier far less advanced state. (See Joseph Tainter's brilliant work on this topic). It’s happened before many times. What brings it on is an overly complex society unable to deal with its real underlying problems, but keeps layering on more complexity, mostly in the form of overly complicated technology demanding greater and greater amounts of energy. There tends to be political dysfunction and larger and larger numbers of problem solvers involved in abstract information manipulation rather than value-producing activity. In the end the house of cards cannot be maintained and collapses.
In this course we will examine a number of case studies of societal collapse resulting from complexity and then look at a various facets of how our society is functioning today that might give us concern, in particular the struggle between solving our food, water, transportation, climate change and other problems through complex technologies rather than simpler sustainable solutions. Also, the large numbers of our brightest people involved in valueless financial manipulation is worrisome. The great architect and city builder Jaime Lerner once said “Beware the complexity merchants”, meaning that the best solutions are generally simple at their core. He also said “If you want creativity take one zero off your budget, if you want sustainability take two zeros off". This is the spirit that will motivate our discussion.
Moderator: John Simke
Date and Time: Thursdays April 20 to May 4 2017 (3 weeks), 2-4 PM
Location: OISE, 252 Bloor Street West
Cost: $18
Maximum Class Size: 30
Booking: See Terms and Conditions. COURSE FULL. TO GO ONTO WAITING LIST PLEASE E-MAIL US AT [email protected]
In this course we will examine a number of case studies of societal collapse resulting from complexity and then look at a various facets of how our society is functioning today that might give us concern, in particular the struggle between solving our food, water, transportation, climate change and other problems through complex technologies rather than simpler sustainable solutions. Also, the large numbers of our brightest people involved in valueless financial manipulation is worrisome. The great architect and city builder Jaime Lerner once said “Beware the complexity merchants”, meaning that the best solutions are generally simple at their core. He also said “If you want creativity take one zero off your budget, if you want sustainability take two zeros off". This is the spirit that will motivate our discussion.
Moderator: John Simke
Date and Time: Thursdays April 20 to May 4 2017 (3 weeks), 2-4 PM
Location: OISE, 252 Bloor Street West
Cost: $18
Maximum Class Size: 30
Booking: See Terms and Conditions. COURSE FULL. TO GO ONTO WAITING LIST PLEASE E-MAIL US AT [email protected]