Posted by
Russell Gonnering on
Feb 13, 2010; 5:37pm
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Sources-of-Innovation-tp4566136p4567056.html
We have attempted to solve complex problems with complicated solutions, both in the economy and health care. We seem to have forgotten that both are Complex Adaptive Systems, and imposition of order only works for complicated systems. Consider that the Constitution, in its original form, had only 4,543 words. The two health care bills add up to more 4,543 PAGES!!
Both the economy and health care will not respond to the imposition of order, only capitalization on emergent order. Remember, "amplify positive attractors, dampen negative attractors" works in Complex Adaptive Systems. I agree with "too big to fail is not capitalism". Time for our arrogant politicians (virtually all incumbents in both parties) to learn a little Complexity Theory. They should be forced to view David Snowden's 3 minute video on the difference between complicated and complex:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Miwb92eZaJg and read Paul Plsek's 13 page Appendix B to "Crossing the Quality Chasm" to understand what is needed in health care reform:
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10027&page=309We don't take "starting point" into account in any of the current economic and health care initiatives. What works in Oregon may not work in Mississippi. Failures, especially small failures, are necessary for innovation.
The Tea Party Movement is a perfect example of emergence and amplification of attractors. But career politicians, which are what we seem to have exclusively at this point, have no incentive to be creative. We need to begin to demand more of them, and those who understand Complexity need to become more active.
Russ#3
On Feb 13, 2010, at 11:12 AM, Owen Densmore wrote:
> There's an economic gorilla in the room no one takes seriously: War.
>
> We're now paying for two wars that are each a greater strain on our economy than the recession and the stimulus bills. Innovation has costs that war denies.
>
> We actually need to get back to capitalism, too. What! Yup. To big to fail is not capitalism, otherwise the natural course of bankruptcy would have worked. Consider Eric's comment: "First, start-ups and smaller businesses must be able to compete on equal terms with their larger rivals. They don't need favors, just a level playing field."
>
> I think we have reached ungovernability. Neither party is mine and neither is effective. We're in gridlock and its not just the republicans being obstructive.
>
> On the positive note, I think we've seen the immense hierarchies discredited. The intelligence services add hierarchy for greater coordination, and they fail. Less hierarchy, more interaction would be far better, as we know by diversity and complexity studies. Another quote: "Second, encouraging risk-taking means tolerating failure -- provided we learn from it." If our government was agile enough, we could explore then pull back from failures.
>
> Getting to Eric's comments (he's a past boss of mine, BTW), as usual he's right on:
> "More than ever, innovation is disruptive and messy. It can't be controlled or predicted. The only way to ensure it can flourish is to create the best possible environment -- and then get out of the way. It's a question of learning to live with a mess."
>
> How odd that puts us into the Tea Party!
>
> Eric is right on as usual, and will be ignored.
>
> -- Owen
>
>
> On Feb 13, 2010, at 6:21 AM, Jochen Fromm wrote:
>
>> In a recent washingtonpost.com article named
>> "Erasing our innovation deficit" (
http://bit.ly/cG6vGW )
>> Eric Schmidt said
>>
>> "We have been world leaders in [technological] innovation for generations. It has driven our economy, employment growth and our rising prosperity.
>> [..] We can no longer rely on the top-down approach of the 20th century, when big investments in the military and NASA spun off to the wider economy."
>>
>> Do you agree? What kind of approach does the
>> USA need to return to old strength?
>>
>> -J.
>>
>> ============================================================
>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
>> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
>> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at
http://www.friam.org>
>
> ============================================================
> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at
http://www.friam.org============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at
http://www.friam.org