The Joy that follows Sex! | Southern Genes

The Joy that follows Sex! | Southern Genes: "Embryogenesis begins with fertilization, with the sperm and egg merging to produce a new organism. Then the new cell begins the ancient chromosome square dance that produces two cells from one, then four from two and on and on. As the cells divide they begin to change, moving from cells that could become anything, to cells that have been sent along a pathway to eventually become liver cells, or brain cells, skin, bone or blood. Embryogenesis is self-organization, with the cells of the embryo programmed by its genes to become particular cell types, at particular times, in particular places. In the past, all we as scientists have been able to do is watch and wonder at this complexity."

Resource Links on Self-Organisation, Complexity and Artificial Life

Resource Links on Self-Organisation, Complexity and Artificial Life: "Links to Journals & Resource Sites"

Emergence and Evolution - Constraints on Form

Emergence and Evolution - Constraints on Form: "Emergence and Evolution - Constraints on Form
by Chris Lucas

'The view of evolution as chronic bloody competition among individuals and species, a popular distortion of Darwin's notion of 'survival of the fittest,' dissolves before a new view of continual cooperation, strong interaction, and mutual dependence among life forms. Life did not take over the globe by combat, but by networking.'

Lynn Margulis and Dorian Sagan, Slanted Truths, 1997

'The emergent qualities that are expressed in biological form are directly linked to the nature of organisms as integrated wholes; these can be studied experimentally and simulated by the use of complex non-linear models.'

Brian Goodwin, How the Leopard Changed its Spots, 1994, Ch 7"

The Brain Rules

The Brain Rules: "The Brain Rules

Small variations in the initial configuration of the squares can lead to large changes in the resulting patterns. But small variations in the underlying rules can lead to even more dramatic changes.

This page uses rules very similar to the Seeds rules. As with Seeds: If a square is on, it turns off. If a square is off, it turns on if exactly two neighboring squares are on. But there is one small twist: When a square turns off, it can't turn on in the very next iteration. Squares in this in-between state are colored red."

The Great Beyond: A zebrafish's first minutes of life caught on film

The Great Beyond: A zebrafish's first minutes of life caught on film: "A zebrafish's first minutes of life caught on film�-�August 19, 2010

Forget baby pictures - proud cell biologists can now show off videos of their growing zebrafish beginning at the earliest stages of development, thanks to a new microscope technology described online today in Science (doi: 10.1126/science.1189428)."

Guest Insights: Smart swarms: The power of self-organization - Peter Miller

Guest Insights: Smart swarms: The power of self-organization - Peter Miller: "When army ants charge across the floor of a rain forest, there's no commander telling them where to go, no squad leaders rallying the troops.

When termites build a soaring mound on the savanna--complete with a network of ducts to regulate air and moisture inside--there's no project manager lining up subcontractors, no architect consulting blueprints.

Honeybees don't need a CEO to make the call when they select a new home from a dozen possible sites, even though the fate of every individual in the hive is riding on the decision.
Which raises a provocative question: If groups in nature can do it, why can't we? Why do human organizations require great leadership when colonies of ants, flocks of birds, and schools of fish get by just fine without any at all?

Is it because the problems they face are simpler than ours? Are their environments less complex and unpredictable?"

FOXNews.com - Clouds Can Communicate, Scientists Say

FOXNews.com - Clouds Can Communicate, Scientists Say: "'Cloud fields organize in such a way that their components 'communicate' with one another and produce regular, periodic rainfall events,' explained Graham Feingold, a research scientist with the National Oceanic and�Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) and the paper's lead author.

In other words, Feingold found clear evidence of self-organization in the regular patterns of rainfall and repeating growth of those floating puffs of cotton."

Our Human Development Initiative

Our Human Development Initiative: "Our Human Development Initiative

Sustainable human development will occur when all humans can have fulfilling lives without degrading the planet. This, we believe, is the ultimate goal. Two leading indicators have identified how we can get there."

Complexity Theory - A perspective on Education

Complexity Theory - A perspective on Education: "`Complexity refers to the condition of the universe which is
integrated and yet too rich and varied for us to understand
in simple common mechanistic or linear ways. We can
understand many parts of the universe in these ways but
the larger and more intricately related phenomena can only
be understood by principles and patterns - not in detail.
Complexity deals with the nature of emergence, innovation,
learning and adaptation’. (Santa F�Group 1996, cited in
Battram 1998 p.v)"