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Alessandro Zadra's avatar

I work in the public healthcare systems in Italy and our progressive trajectory towards the tipping point is felt every day for anyone whi is willing to just think for a minute and follow the consequences what we see everyday.

It's not only that a pluralistic, multidisciplinary scientific view is needed (i.e.: complexity science), but also, as you clearly point out, that the method and the matter are the same: each system state can have enormous consequences of other systems of our society.

The day we stop thinking in disciplinary silos and understand that education, transportation, healthcare, welfare etc have deep consequences on eacother we will truly address problems that otherwise will be briefly pollished just to crash later.

It would be invaluable to get your contribution (on this substack, on any other occasion feasible) on themes that affect our healthcare system to broaden the view of people which work in it and of policymakers who can make it better. I'd be glad to interact with you on the specific matter, trying to help disseminating your knowledge on the topic that I feel in healthcare is tragically completely neglected from the bottom up.

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Manlio De Domenico's avatar

Dear Alessandro, thank you for this comment. It's years I try to disseminate this knowledge, but it remains confined to academics most of the time, with some exceptions. Feel free to get in touch with me via institucional channels to discuss about your ideas for potential actions. I decided to live in Italy and to invest on my country, to make it a better place.

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Alessandro Zadra's avatar

Also, pardon some typos, I can't edit the comment

*Who

*Eachother

*Each system's state can have enormous consequences ON other systems

*Polished

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Zero One Phi 0-1-Φ's avatar

I am enjoying your substack immensely!

I think almost anything of value or interest to humans is non linear.

Reductionist linear thinking is however, much easier to compress into memes (In Dawkins' original sense of the word) and so they outcompete complex attempts to understand complex systems.

Perhaps, ironically, vast complex interconnected societies such as modern humanity tend towards reductionism for ease of management.

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Manlio De Domenico's avatar

Thanks! That's a possibility: we are wired to deal with complexity, but for some reason with are not comfortable to do so.

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John Smith's avatar

Really enjoyed this, would love to write something together on complexity in education systems. See early posts in my blog for some ideas on this.

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Miguel Wood's avatar

Superb post 💥 . Have reshared on LinkedIn.

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Manlio De Domenico's avatar

Many thanks for the kind feedback, Miguel, really appreciated.

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Menno Treffers's avatar

Complex systems tend to move to an equilibrium. Such a system can react in unexpected directions when you try to change its state. It's like riding a bike: when you steer left, the bike turns right. That's one of the reasons why linear thinking has unintended consequences.

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Stephen Beck Marcotte's avatar

Well said. I can see what your say.

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