May Cafe scientifique

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• Monday 18 May 2009
• 7.00pm start
• Lecturers: Prof Eve Mitleton-Kelly

Join the discussion over a drink in our café as we look at the emerging science of complexity which aims to understand systems too complicated to be broken down into individual parts.

Many real-world complex problems appear intractable and are difficult to resolve. Part of the difficulty arises when only single causes are sought, when such problems arise from the interaction of multiple, underlying, inter-related causes.

The Complexity Group at the London School of Economics works with organisations in the private and public sectors, that have apparently intractable problems and has developed a method based on complexity theory, of identifying the multiple, underlying causes that together create the problem space. A practical example will be discussed to show how to analyse a problem space to identify the multiple underlying and interacting causes, and why mono-causal explanations are inadequate when facing volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous problems. Eve Mitleton-Kelly will argue for the creation of an enabling environment that continues to address the issue in a sustainable way.

Our cafés are hosted by Dr Peter J Bentley.

Tickets are free but must be booked in advance