Two's Company, Three Is Complexity: A Simple Guide to the Science of All Sciences

What do traffic jams, stock market crashes, and wars have in common? They can all be explained by complexity, an unsolved puzzle which is the most important scientific development since general relativity, and considered by many to be the 'Science of Sciences'. In Two's Company, Three is Complexity, Neil Johnson draws on his experience as a leading researcher in the field to explore the surprising ways in which order eventually emerges from the interaction of all things. Relevant across the whole breadth of social studies and science from pubs to plants, Johnson utilizes a wealth of real-life examples as he leads us on a brilliantly entertaining romp through chaos, game theory, economics, and even jazz, ultimately proving that complexity lies at the very heart of the Universe itself. The sheer scope and interdisciplinary nature of the subject means that those with backgrounds in physics, biology, engineering, computer science, economics, sociology, politics, business, or mathematics will appreciate the book's relevance to, and illumination of, their own field of interest. Lucidly written, this is the first publication to deal with complexity as a self-contained subject in its own right, and will be an indispensable reference for anyone seeking to step back and understand how order always emerges from the patterns and processes of every day life.