Complexity science applies to a wide range of systems, from tipping points to ecologies, economies, and even the spread of COVID in the lungs. Positive feedback is crucial for both ant colonies' robustness and increasing returns in the economy. Studying one system helps understand others. In this episode, Aretha Pelleg discusses how bees self-organize to exhibit sophisticated behavior, such as determining the location of their colony. This exemplifies the key concept of self-organization in complexity science, where systems like economies and ecologies defy rational explanations.
One of the things that make complexity science so fascinating is the diversity of the systems that it applies to. In this series so far, you've learnt about everything from ecologies to economies, tipping points in ecologies and economies, to power and influence in the 1400s, and even the spread of coronavirus in the lungs and the thing that brings all of these different topics together is complexity. This means that we can study one system to help us understand other systems — including bees.
In today's episode, Orit Peleg, Faculty at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and External Faculty at the Santa Fe Institute, explains how bees self-organise and produce sophisticated behaviour. In this case, you'll hear how thousands of bees can work out where their queen is at any given point.
Connect:
This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.