In university , you studied physics . How did you come to do the interdisciplinary work you do now ?
I became interested in a particular part of physics early on . This part of physics is called Complex Systems . Complex Systems refer to systems in which the identity of elements is involved , and how their patterns of interaction cannot be ignored . For instance , when I look at traditional physics and study molecules in a gas – the molecules are interchangeable and I only care about big macroscopic properties like pressure , temperature , and volume .
Much like the complex systems studied in physics , in society people are not interchangeable . Their patterns of interaction and identities are very specific and they matter . A society is a complex system . Biology is similar . You cannot really change one molecule for another in biology , as different molecules have different functions and they interact differently with others . The beauty of complex systems is that simple rules can produce great complexity . A simple chemical reaction or a simple diffusion equation can lead to the patterns on a tiger , or the spots on a leopard . Similarly , in a society , simple rules can lead to a lot of different behaviours which have different implications for policy and society .
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