Marshall Chaos Flocking Notes 2 April 09

Chaos Complexity, and Flocking Behavior: Metaphors for Learning Stephanie Pace Marshall Wingspread Journal, Summer 1996 accessed 1 April 2009 printout (page numbers from print out) article is very much a world view cited by a fair number of other articles 1 shift from metaphor of world as a clock to world as a kaleidoscope shift in Newtonian world view links to Lanham “We have been obsessed with linear systems and their effect has controlled almost every dimension of our culture.” focused on cause-effect 2 studying parts does not necessarily yield an understanding of the whole schools based on older, Newtonian paradigm new vision centers on interrelatedness and interdependence 3 BOIDS flocking followed three simple rules 1. maintain a min distance from other objects in environment incl. BOIDS 2. match velocity with other boids 3. move towards the perceived center of the mass of BOIDS Results simple behaviors create flocking without refering to flocking flocks form from bottom uup focus of each boid is on behavior at the time not the result complex behavior does not necessarily require complex rules “Simple rules will yield profoundly complex results. Perhaps this is the most important observation of all.” 4 lists of suggestions; how are you going to do it.