Neil Johnson delves deeper into the power law describing war casualties. He discusses the interdisciplinary nature of complex systems research. The chapter explores excitons, crowd behavior, financial markets, and the work of Richardson in complex systems. It also explores the formation and collaboration of relationships in wars and insurgencies. Lastly, it discusses how complexity science can enhance various disciplines in understanding cities and conflicts.

The podcast explores the mathematical perspective of war and conflict, analyzing casualty numbers and patterns in wars. It discusses the feedback process of height and its potential impact on extreme heights. The concept of all wars being a collection of battles is challenged, highlighting the importance of understanding the underlying mechanism of casualties. The relationship between border length and wars is explored through the study of insurgencies and data collection within conflicts.

Sara Walker, Deputy Director of the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, discusses the changing concepts of time throughout history. The podcast explores the relativity of time, from physics to computability theory, and questions whether time is fundamental or emergent. It also explores the connection between information, memory, and time, as well as the origin of life from a physicist's perspective.

Learn about the complexity and significance of the power grid as a socio-technical system. Explore the California power crisis, the intersection of engineering and economics in power grids, and the history and development of the power grid. Understand the dynamic nature and fragility of the power grid system. Discover how changing regulations and generation methods, including the rise of solar power, impact the power grid and the challenges faced by the energy market.

W. Brian Arthur joins the show to explore how economic policies are gamed. They discuss gaming systems, manipulation in the 2008 financial crash, and the vulnerability of economic systems. They also delve into the consequences of private control over financial systems and the need for understanding and addressing these issues.

In this episode, complexity science is applied to creativity. The idea of society as a complex cognitive system is explored, along with simultaneous invention and the concept of the adjacent possible. The role of creativity in a larger ecosystem of ideas and individuals is discussed, as well as the collaborative nature of Steven Hawking's work. The limitations of traditional reductionism are highlighted, showing the emergence of qualitatively different outcomes in complex systems.

Luis Bettencourt, Professor at the University of Chicago, discusses the complexity of cities and their impact on social factors. Topics include sub-linear and super-linear scaling, challenges of urban planning, walking faster in cities, slums, and the connection between infrastructure and mental health.

In this episode, Melanie Moses shares her experience of studying volcanoes in Iceland using a swarm of drones to map out the CO2 plume emitted by the volcano. The chapter discusses the use of unmanned drones to measure the gases emitted by volcanoes and the potential for predicting future eruptions. It explores the innovative use of drones in collecting data from volcanoes and showcases the programming and self-organization of co-robots. The process of mapping volcanic plumes and measuring gas concentrations using drones is explained. The episode also explores the utilization of the sketch algorithm and human intelligence to guide the drones in mapping volcanic plumes.

Orit Peleg, an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, talks about the synchronization of fireflies. She explains the process of studying firefly swarms, how even a small amount of coupling can lead to synchronization, and the potential applications in programming synchronized behaviors in swarms of robots.

In our last episode, you heard all about economic mobility. In this episode (which is part 2 of our conversation), you're going to hear again from Matthew Jackson, William D. Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University, and External Faculty at the Santa Fe Institute. We finished the last episode by saying that if you want to increase a child's economic mobility, the factor that has the greatest impact is economic connectedness. In this episode, Matthew is going to talk about economic connectedness in our workplaces, our religious gatherings, and our schools.   Resources and links: Social capital I: measurement and associations with economic mobility | Nature Social capital II: determinants of economic connectedness | Nature Vast New Study Shows a Key to Reducing Poverty: More Friendships Between Rich and Poor - The New York Times (nytimes.com)   Connect: Simplifying Complexity on Twitter Sean Brady on Twitter Sean Brady on LinkedIn Brady Heywood website This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.