Peter, what you have quoted above—-simple things generating a complex
outcome that could not be understood by studying the part-—is called Chaos
Theory (the Science of Complexity, loosely speaking):
“Science generally uses a system called reductionism to investigate our
world. This means breaking down anything being examined into the parts
that make it up. Reductionism proposes that if we understand the parts, we
will understand how the whole system works. If you take a mechanical clock
to pieces, you can see what each part does you can find out how it works.
Some things, however, can't be investigated in this way. There is much to
be learned by dissecting a rat, for example, but in dissecting it, we kill
it and cannot learn what gives it life.”
http://complexity.orconhosting.net.nz/index.html
Hawkins talks about how the next frontier in science will be the Science
of Complexity, which defies the linear, Euclidean analysis of things we
examine. For instance, CCD may not be understood by simply focusing on
isolated issues affecting bees, such as nosema, pesticide, dwindling
forage areas, doping, or pimping across the country, alone. One must look
at the whole picture. A butterfly flapping in Brazil (Varroa vector), for
instance, can create a tornado in Texas (CCD) through multiplication of
its force in nonlinear interactions within a living environment whose
result no one can predict.
Yoon
****************************************************
* General Information About BEE-L is available at: *
* http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/default.htm *
****************************************************
|