kwinter [wildness].

TERM [approximate systems].

Kwinter refers to the research done at the Santa Fe Institute for the Study of Complexity http://www.santafe.edu/ to introduce the concept of "approximate systems". These systems could be defined with similar descriptors such as "complex," "adaptive," "wild," or "intricate" (all of which Kwinter uses in the text). They can be thought of as a haphazard collection of unplanned planning, where everything is seen as sensible and logical, yet not sense nor logic went into the making of such systems. The parameters of these approximate systems are only defined in the present. What the systems are at the present moment is perfect and absolute. Yet what they are in the past and future is both indiscernible and critical. The natural world seems to be the most obvious example of an approximate system. The delicate balance of species co-existing in a series of ecosystems is a complex, messy, enmeshed collection of cooperation. Everything is dependent, but has potential for independence. Traffic seems to be another likely candidate for an approximate system (either that or my daily commute seems to still be weighing on my mind). In traffic, people move at varying degrees of speed in a multitude of directions that intersect and converge in fleeting moments. Using feet, bicycles, cars, trains, etc. people weave through the urban grid dodging each other, red lights, and the occasional roadblock to form a kind of rhythmic dance that is never repeatable in any given moment. Always evolving, adaptive, spontaneous, and unrehearsed, this movement is interdependent while maintaining individual agencies.

TERM [wilding].

Though this term seems to be an obvious choice for the article, I feel its definition is important to explore. Similar to the approximate system, "wilding" is also a force which is unplanned, unpredictable, and unrestrained. It is messy. Yet, it differs from the aforementioned in its absence of logic and sense. Whereas a complex system works together to maintain balance, a wilding system is inherently off balance, out of control, shocking, and oblivious. Dependence and balance are the enemy. Guerrilla warfare (to cite an example from Kwinter) is the goal. Wilding can best be imagined as an image. Kwinter displays a photo of a flock of Red-billed queleas to make this point. The birds fly together in a swelling and contracting mass that undulates as individuals follow one another's lead. A similar phenomenon can be seen in the swimming patters of large schools of fish. What individual moves first? Who is the leader? How do the other individuals decide who to follow? How do so many move as one? What happens to the system if an individual chooses the opposite path? In short, if an approximate system were to rebel, it would be called "wilding."

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

Kwinter discusses the urban environment as a complex system of wild and numerous contributors (a familiar argument). Though, the discussion of planning for the unplanned wildness of a city seems interesting in this context. If wilding is to be unplanned, how does one plan for the known unknown? If it is a planned complexity, is it still approximate or does it become trite and sterile? Which begs the greater question- can these approximate systems and wilding behaviors ever be created, or just discovered?