Emergent phenomena anderson9/16/2023 ![]() ![]() The mathematical description of spin glasses, Anderson argued, was broadly applicable and revealed that “in each case the behavior of a system is controlled by a random function of a very large number of variables.” In the brain, this mathematical function could describe neurons in the cell, it could describe the complex, random behavior of the genome. In 1984, Anderson took part in the Institute’s first workshops, “Emerging Syntheses in Science,” where he discussed an exotic type of magnet called spin glass, which he believed held connections between physics, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and computer science. He was also interested in emergence, or the ways in which new properties appear as systems get more complex, a pursuit which led him to help found SFI. Within the physics community, Anderson was known for his crucial work on a diverse array of phenomena, from superconductivity to antiferromagnetism to electron localization-for which he shared the 1977 Nobel Prize in Physics. This was a supreme act of intellectual modesty and generosity." Not only did Phil articulate why confusing parts for the whole was a problem, but in the process, he explained why different fields of inquiry – from genetics to economics – needed to exist. "His ' More is Different' article from Science in 1972 was the most important and rigorous refutation of the foolishness of reductionism for complex systems yet published. ![]() ![]() “It is hard to overstate the importance of the ideas of Phil Anderson to the science of SFI and complexity in general," said Santa Fe Institute President David Krakauer. Philip Anderson, a theoretical physicist who wrote rules that dictate the strange behavior of condensed matter and lent his deep intuition to problems beyond physics, died on March 29, 2020. ![]()
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