One feature of Julian's excellent summary of SFI's complexity work
(integrated with the work of others) missed an important feature for
the topic of creativity. From the depth of Julian's cover of the
subject, I suspect it was missed due to length rather than anything
else.
That is the feature of the "genes" or "bits" or "threads" to remain
in existence in some largely unused form and to resurface as part of
new threads which are created. This is one of the features of
Holland's work on recombination.
Ideas (or threads) which appear to be part of an earlier chain lurk
in the background and resurface when new threads provide new
opportunities. The "old" ideas often occur as new when recombined
with the new thread.
In genetic algorithms, this is generally referred to as rules which
are less effective - sometimes even "wrong" or detrimental - in
earlier threads being used in later ones to positive effect EVEN
THOUGH THEY ARE STILL WRONG. That is, the evolution of genetic
algorithms - or of nature - occasionally uses less effective "rules"
or else they might as well not be saved.
It is also clear that this saving and use of less effective
components is part of the system's continuing evolutionary pattern.
That is, the patterns are not seeking optimum but seeking viability
in many circumstances - robust survival possibilities. Holland uses
the example of the human sexual reproduction patterns are not
attempting to find optimum individuals (say Einstein or Elvis) and
attempting to make many copies of them. Their genes just go into the
pool and mix with others for other options being developed.
This implies that ideas do not die out even though, as Julian pointed
out, the pathways of the ones which are effective deepen or
strengthen with use. But, then they too lose strength or "die out"
and still remain in the background to resurface.
For example, the complexity thread has been recurring as long as I've
been on the list and yet it pops up again from different people in
different threads - like this one.
--
Michael McMaster : Michael@kbdworld.com
book cafe site : http://www.vision-nest.com/BTBookCafe
"I don't give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity
but I'd die for the simplicity on the other side of complexity."
attributed to Chief Justice Brandeis
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations
For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>