Ubiquity

A fascinating and important book about the nature and scope of critical states in self-organising systems. The popular idea of the butterfly effect only occurs at such critical states (the first formulation of this must have been 'the last straw breaks the camel's back), which explains how a small fluctuation can have a catastrophic effect. Buchanan applies this idea to earthquake and stock market prediction, paradigm shifts in science, free will and the spread of forest fires. Another key idea is the 'power law' where the size or impact of an event can be mathematically plotted against other similar events so that the size is proportionately related to relative frequency: the more catastrophic the event, the rarer it will be. A similar analysis can even be applied to the size of pieces remaining after the shattering of a frozen potato as well as the scale of wars and the citation of scientific papers. Perhaps the most interesting area is the application of self-organising criticality to the larger processes of human history where great individuals can be at the centre of great happenings, 'but they do not supply the forces that drive them'. A very stimulating read.