The brain is very well trained to deal with disturbances, sometimes without us even noticing. And this is a robustness of function, which is the function of processing this information. We know that when we read a text and the vowels are missing, we're still very good in inferring what the word is. So it's super robust to accept particular disturbance. There are other disturbances that are much harder to deal with. But the brain isvery well trained to dealing with those as well.
In our last episode with Tyler Marghetis, we learnt about how a complex system can tip from one state into another. But what happens when systems don't tip or fail? What makes a system robust?
In today's episode, we're talking with Karoline Wiesner, a Professor of Complexity Science in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Potsdam, Germany. She breaks down the characteristics of a robust system, through the context of an incredibly robust complex system — the ant colony.
Connect:
This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.