Comments on: Combining Simplicity and Complexity https://betterexplained.com/articles/combining-simplicity-and-complexity/ Math lessons that click Thu, 18 Feb 2021 21:45:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: How We Brought Complexity and Simplicity Together to Form Workato - The Connector by Workato https://betterexplained.com/articles/combining-simplicity-and-complexity/#comment-392004 Thu, 18 Feb 2021 21:45:35 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/combining-simplicity-and-complexity/#comment-392004 […] and yet simple to understand and use is nothing short of “the holy grail” of engineering. This article does a great job explaining the conundrum when it comes to combining complexity with simplicity. […]

]]> By: john https://betterexplained.com/articles/combining-simplicity-and-complexity/#comment-1683 Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:59:57 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/combining-simplicity-and-complexity/#comment-1683 simple, complicated, explanation, symplectic etc.
Sometimes etymologies are misleading, but they can be suggestive and illuminate root images.
Cf. protoeuropean ‘plek’ having to do with weaving, braiding, etc.
If the consensus of theoretical physicists is correct, the best understanding we have of the uni-/multiverse covers less than 5% with “dark matter” and “dark energy” making up the rest 95+%.
“Method” from the Greek meta+hodos comes from “along the way”. “Problema” from “(obstacle)thrown up in the way” (Tao). Clarity vs obscurity; distinction vs confusion (Descartes) vis-a-vis “theoria”, “to see as the gods see”.
Subscribe (free) to online “Complexity Digest”. Look at R. Onians, The Origins of European…REV. ed. Bruno Snell is also useful. Onians covers Chinese and Icelandic etc. Cf. Santa Fe Institute and
mezoscopic epigenetics. Dance of “happiness” involves complex steps. Enjoy!

]]> By: Kalid https://betterexplained.com/articles/combining-simplicity-and-complexity/#comment-1680 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:46:03 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/combining-simplicity-and-complexity/#comment-1680 @Charmkite: Cool, I’ll have to check that out.

@Paul: Thanks for that awesome physical analogy, I like it!

]]> By: Paul https://betterexplained.com/articles/combining-simplicity-and-complexity/#comment-1679 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:39:51 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/combining-simplicity-and-complexity/#comment-1679 Your thoughts expand on a throw away discussion with one of my computer science teachers many years ago. It has always stayed with me and whenever I’m in the depths of analysis paralysis I go back to it for guidance:-

“Complex and complicated are not the same thing”

A long piece of straight wool is simple and not complicated.

Tangle that piece of wool up and it remains simple (a single entity), but is now complicated (entagled and not easy to discern what is going on).

Take that original piece of wool and chop it up into pieces. It is now complex (multi faceted) but not complicated (each piece is readily understandable).

Only once those multiple pieces of wool are tangled together do we get a complex and complicated system.

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