The Emergence of Complexity: Lessons from DNA

2036 How did life emerge from a soup of chemicals? How do patterns such as schools of fi sh form from individuals? How do voting patterns emerge? Such a diverse array of problems seems completely unrelated. However, they all involve “emergence of complexity.” When individuals come together, they form patterns, structures, and organizations that cannot be discerned from the individuals alone. The study of the emergence of complexity is one of the most active and important areas of research. It is important not only