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Jessica B's picture

Predictions

That' actually relates to a point that has been mentioned in class. Traditional science has used math to predict the behavior of simple systems. We have equations to tell us how the sun and the moon and the earth rotate around one another, for example, and how a falling body should move. With more complex systems, however, this traditional approach cannot be used. With emergent systems, it seems as though the only way to tell what they're going to do it just to watch and see. So while making predictions can be a useful mental exercise, it really shouldn't be surprising that they're often incorrect. I think that's actually one of the interesting things about the field. I mean, I never would have guessed that the ant would suddenly start moving in spirals.

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