Emergence!

Why do birds flock together and geese form "V" formations? What causes moving cars to form regular, but complex traffic patterns? How did life emerge from a soup of chemicals? Why do we sometimes observe order in systems that have no central control or leader?  In this exploration we will think about how simple interactions between individuals can lead to surprising, ordered and complex behavior.

Emergence refers to the unexpected appearance of complex behavior, forms or patterns that cannot be predicted from the simple starting conditions of a system. It is a special property of Complex Systems, a relatively new and fascinating field that is being used to look at everything from creating artificial intelligence to designing new methods of manufacturing to understanding consciousness. And of course, climate change! To get a feel for what we mean by the concept of emergence, start off by watching... Emergence! Then check out these other Everyday Examples of Emergence.

There are two activities associated with this exploration. They both illustrate ideas about emergence using cellular automata.

Activity 1:   Langton's Ant

Activity 2:   Conway's Game of Life

Be sure to also take a look at Professor John Holland's answers to these questions about emergence.

If You Need Help

If you have specific questions about this exploration, please contact your Mentor.