Emergent behavior is one of those things that people struggle to grasp, because it seems to violate the expected cause and effect relationship. Most people operate on the assumption that whatever we are seeing is caused by something that can also be seen or at least described. Of course, most people like to think there is some human actor behind everything, operating from the normal human motivations. It is always tempting to reduce things to the personal as it is relatable.
There are lots of examples in nature of emergent behavior. Cross-breeding of plants can result in a characteristic that does not exist in the two plants that have been crossbred by a curious gardener. Domestic animal breeders, from time to time, will bump into this. The Ocicat is a great example crossbreeding two animals and getting a result that has qualities not present in the parents. Insects colonies are a great example of emergent behavior.
Something similar can happen with human behavior. Put the right group of people in the right situation and you get behavior that seems to spring from nowhere. Some historians have argued this is what happened in Germany in the period after the Great War when the Nazi rose to power. The panic over witches and witchcraft in early New England is another cited example. All of a sudden, people began to act in ways that were not typical of their past behavior.
This is, in part, what we are experiencing today. The people in charge have unleashed forces they do not understand for short term gain. The massive wave of irregularities in the election are one result. The bizarre, superstitious behavior of the Covidians is another manifestation. These people have been swept up in a frenzy and have become untethered from the normal restraints. “Through any means necessary” has become a rallying cry for direct action against the imagined enemy.
This week I have the usual variety of items in the now standard format. Spreaker has the full show. I am up on Google Play now, so the Android commies can take me along when out disrespecting the country. I am on iTunes, which means the Apple Nazis can listen to me on their Hitler phones. The anarchists can catch me on iHeart Radio. I am now on Deezer, for our European haters and Stitcher for the weirdos. YouTube also has the full podcast. Of course, there is a download link below.
For sites like this to exist, it requires people like you chipping in a few bucks a month to keep the lights on and the people fed. It turns out that you can’t live on clicks and compliments. Five bucks a month is not a lot to ask. If you don’t want to commit to a subscription, make a one time donation. Or, you can send money to: Z Media LLC P.O. Box 432 Cockeysville, MD 21030-0432. You can also use PayPal to send a few bucks, rather than have that latte at Starbucks. Thank you for your support!
Promotions: The good folks at Alaska Chaga are offering a ten percent discount to readers of this site. You just click on the this link and they take care of the rest. About a year ago they sent me some of their stuff. Up until that point, I had never heard of chaga, but I gave a try and it is very good. It is like a tea, but it has a milder flavor. It’s hot here in Lagos, so I’ve been drinking it cold. It is a great summer beverage.
Minter & Richter Designs makes high-quality, hand-made by one guy in Boston, titanium wedding rings for men and women and they are now offering readers a fifteen percent discount on purchases if you use this link. If you are headed to Boston, they are also offering my readers 20% off their 5-star rated Airbnb. Just email them directly to book at sales@minterandrichterdesigns.com.
This Week’s Show
Contents
- 00:00: Opening
- 02:00: Me Talking A Lot
- 57:00: Closing
Direct Download, The iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, RSS Feed, Amazon
Full Show On Spreaker
Full Show On YouTube
Check out the Z Man at thezman.com
