Sean Carroll

I guess the biggest thing is David Krakauer and I disagreed with this about this when we were talking. So you can go back and hear our conversation. He's the world's expert on complexity. But I kind of think that complex systems science is still pre-paradigmatic.

I guess the biggest thing is David Krakauer and I disagreed with this about this when we were talking. So you can go back and hear our conversation. He's the world's expert on complexity. But I kind of think that complex systems science is still pre-paradigmatic.

That is to say, we don't have a fixed curriculum, a fixed set of examples, a fixed path from not knowing anything to hear the basic things you should know and hear the applications of them, right? In physics or economics or chemistry or whatever, we kind of agree on what is the first course you should take, the second course you should take, and you build up an agreed upon set of knowledge.

That is to say, we don't have a fixed curriculum, a fixed set of examples, a fixed path from not knowing anything to hear the basic things you should know and hear the applications of them, right? In physics or economics or chemistry or whatever, we kind of agree on what is the first course you should take, the second course you should take, and you build up an agreed upon set of knowledge.

With complexity, it's still more of a grab bag. There's very interesting results out there. There are some things that seem to be common across different kinds of complex systems, but it's less clear what exactly the standard set of knowledge is supposed to be. It's more scattered across different domains, different disciplines, and therefore harder for it to get into a standardized curriculum.

With complexity, it's still more of a grab bag. There's very interesting results out there. There are some things that seem to be common across different kinds of complex systems, but it's less clear what exactly the standard set of knowledge is supposed to be. It's more scattered across different domains, different disciplines, and therefore harder for it to get into a standardized curriculum.

We're getting there. There's a couple of very interesting textbooks that now exist on complex systems theory, and maybe it will become more popular. But also, you know, the way that complex systems—I never know whether to call it complexity or complex systems, and therefore the accent on the first word is always unpredictable for me.

We're getting there. There's a couple of very interesting textbooks that now exist on complex systems theory, and maybe it will become more popular. But also, you know, the way that complex systems—I never know whether to call it complexity or complex systems, and therefore the accent on the first word is always unpredictable for me.

Complex systems science is an interdisciplinary science by its very nature. It's you know, what can be a complex system? A biological organism can be a complex system. The economy can be a complex system. The internet is a complex system. A language is a complex system. What department is this supposed to be in, right? You know, who is supposed to be learning this and teaching it?

Complex systems science is an interdisciplinary science by its very nature. It's you know, what can be a complex system? A biological organism can be a complex system. The economy can be a complex system. The internet is a complex system. A language is a complex system. What department is this supposed to be in, right? You know, who is supposed to be learning this and teaching it?

So what you get is different departments doing little bits of it, and it hopefully in some areas does have an impact, but there's no standard. There's no consensus. And I think that Maybe that will change. You know, I keep trying to teach a course in complex systems in the physics department at Johns Hopkins.

So what you get is different departments doing little bits of it, and it hopefully in some areas does have an impact, but there's no standard. There's no consensus. And I think that Maybe that will change. You know, I keep trying to teach a course in complex systems in the physics department at Johns Hopkins.

It is not like they're trying to prevent me, but other courses that are more pressing keep coming up. So I'm teaching quantum mechanics next year. That's got to be taught. Someone's got to teach quantum mechanics, and so I'm going to be doing it to the undergraduates.

It is not like they're trying to prevent me, but other courses that are more pressing keep coming up. So I'm teaching quantum mechanics next year. That's got to be taught. Someone's got to teach quantum mechanics, and so I'm going to be doing it to the undergraduates.

We do have a new faculty member at Hopkins, Matthew Wyart, who is a true complex systems statistical mechanics expert, and he's going to be teaching things. So I do think that, you know, maybe it's seeping its way in. These things take time. Academia is very slow, very slow to change and to adapt to new ideas.

We do have a new faculty member at Hopkins, Matthew Wyart, who is a true complex systems statistical mechanics expert, and he's going to be teaching things. So I do think that, you know, maybe it's seeping its way in. These things take time. Academia is very slow, very slow to change and to adapt to new ideas.

Bjorn Haig says, you seem to be able to disagree with people so gently, clearly, and unobtrusively. How do you do it? Are you even aware of this being a skill of yours? Yeah, I would disagree. This is a skill of mine. I don't think this is a skill. That's not the way that it comes across to me.

Bjorn Haig says, you seem to be able to disagree with people so gently, clearly, and unobtrusively. How do you do it? Are you even aware of this being a skill of yours? Yeah, I would disagree. This is a skill of mine. I don't think this is a skill. That's not the way that it comes across to me.

I get very frustrated with people sometimes, and I do disagree with them maybe a bit too harshly or shrilly than really I do. I try. to disagree gently and constructively. It's not about being unobtrusive or even gentle so much as clear is important, to be clear about why you disagree and to be constructive about it, to try to understand why we're disagreeing, maybe move forward.

I get very frustrated with people sometimes, and I do disagree with them maybe a bit too harshly or shrilly than really I do. I try. to disagree gently and constructively. It's not about being unobtrusive or even gentle so much as clear is important, to be clear about why you disagree and to be constructive about it, to try to understand why we're disagreeing, maybe move forward.