Emergence and non-linearity

In the previous chapter self-organization was shown to have a very strong component in the domain of physics of non-linear systems, and actually some examples of self-organization in non-equilibrium systems have already been given, such as the beehive structure in silicon oil subjected to thermal gradient. This should be repeated at the level of emergence. 

The spontaneous emergence of order at critical points of instability is one of the most important concepts of the new understanding of life. It is technically known as self-organization and is often referred to simply as emergence . It has been recognized as the dynamic origin of development, learning and evolution. 

Once instability is included, the meaning of the laws of nature. now express possibilities of probabilities. 

Because of this, as Christidis puts it (2002), matter acquires new properties when estranged from equilibrium, namely when fluctuations and instabilities are dominant. For a series of examples in biology, chemistry, and engineering, see Strogatz (1994). 

Institute for Biocomplexity and Informatics University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada The sciences of complexity 

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