caa a22 4500 605448450 CHVBK 20210128100136.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150901xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10539-014-9468-5 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10539-014-9468-5 Chambers Geoffrey School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand aut Understanding complexity: Are we making progress? [Elektronische Daten] [Geoffrey Chambers] In recent years a new conceptual tool called Complexity Theory has come to the attention of scientists and philosophers. This approach is concerned with the emergent properties of interacting systems. It has found wide applicability from cosmology to Social Structure Analysis. However, practitioners are still struggling to find the best way to define complexity and then to measure it. A new book Complexity and the arrow of time by Lineweaver et al. (2013) contains contributions from scholars who provide critical reviews of Complexity Theory and its wider applications. This is a huge task and this essay examines how well the authors have succeeded in satisfying the claim made by the book's three editors to have clarified the leading questions. I also explore the application of Complexity Theory to Biology as a means to explain the popular view that biological complexity (as viewed in many guises and at many levels) has increased over time. In this regard, I conclude by recommending an Information Theory approach which urges that physical complexity arises from accumulation of genetic coding sequences. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht, 2014 Complexity Theory nationallicence Cosmology nationallicence Evolution nationallicence Genomic structure nationallicence Biology & Philosophy Springer Netherlands 30/5(2015-09-01), 747-756 0169-3867 30:5<747 2015 30 10539 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-014-9468-5 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 review-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-014-9468-5 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 100 1- Chambers Geoffrey School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Biology & Philosophy Springer Netherlands 30/5(2015-09-01), 747-756 0169-3867 30:5<747 2015 30 10539