11.08 Emergent Order: Science in Economics and Ecology - by Gus diZerega, Ph.D.

Review:

Last week the unflappable Professor Gus declaimed, exclaimed, excoriated and defoliated while addressing the topic of Emergent Order. Some were tempted to skip Gus' talk because it was too intellectually deep and there were not enough pictures of fairies with those of his birds and fish. Actually, the science of emergent order does deal with topics that were formally the purview of metaphysics while explaining the peculiar behavior of beings and particles that seem to have minds
that we cannot account for. Like you, dear reader. If atoms do not have color, why do large groups of them seem so colorful? And why don't the properties of hydrogen and oxygen predict that water will be wet? This science began in the social sciences but, like everything else cool, was stolen by the physical sciences.

Science Buzz Cafe # 21 with Gus diZerega, Ph.D., November 8th, 2007

Science Buzz Cafe # 21 with Gus diZerega, Ph.D., November 8th, 2007

Science Buzz Cafe # 21 with Robert Porter, Ph.D., November 8th, 2007

Science Buzz Cafe # 21 with Gus diZerega, Ph.D., November 8th, 2007

Science Buzz Cafe # 21 with Gus diZerega, Ph.D., November 8th, 2007

Preview:

What do ecosystems and science, the web and market economies, schools of fish and slime molds all have in common? If you think that market economies and slime molds have everything in common then you are WRONG; they are emergent orders. What do Yellowstone wolves and Pacific salmon, Google and banks all have in common? Wolves and banks? Are you joking? No, again. The correct answer is the kind of role they play in different emergent orders. Why is central economic planning a failure? Why is the Invisible Hand of the Market soooo much like the Big Finger? Why do democracies not fight other democracies? If you say why should they when that is what they pay us for, again, the answer concerns emergent orders. Find out why. Come this Thursday night to hear Prof. Gus diZerega, who has come from the dark side to illuminate the dark recesses of this arcane field. He has promised to keep a straight face. Straightish, anyway.