Evolution, Complexity and Cognition Research Group

= Our research focuses on the emergence and evolution of organization

URL = http://ecco.vub.ac.be/

Description

"ECCO, the Evolution, Complexity and COgnition group, is a multidisciplinary research group, directed by Francis Heylighen. We are localized at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), although our members are distributed across four continents. While founded under the present name in 2004, our informal history goes back many years earlier.

Our researchers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from physical science and technology to the social sciences and humanities.

Our philosophy is intrinsically transdisciplinary, transcending the traditional boundaries between "hard" and "soft" sciences, and between philosophical foundations and practical applications.

Our research focuses on the emergence and evolution of organization:

   how does a collection of autonomous, but interacting, agents self-organize?
   how does it evolve to an increasingly cooperative, adaptive and intelligent system?
   what does such spontaneous evolution imply for our scientific worldview?

Examples of such processes include the emergence of:

   life from molecules
   organisms from cells
   the mind from neurons
   knowledge from concepts
   language, culture, and institutions from individuals.

Understanding these processes allows us to design for self-organization: develop systems that spontaneously evolve towards synergy, adaptation and intelligence. Applications include:

   algorithms for self-organizing intelligent systems,  
   websites that stimulate collective intelligence and the self-organization of communities
   tools, methods, and policies for: 
       - coping with complexity and information overload
       - problem-solving and conflict resolution
       - social and technological innovation
       - enhancing individual well-being

We tackle these issues through a variety of research projects. ECCO members have published many papers and books on these subjects, and are regularly producing new working papers and computer simulations. We further provide a bibliography of recommended reading on the subject, and a list of related organizations.

ECCO regularly organizes international conferences on these issues, as well as weekly seminars at the VUB. We also provide teaching and consultancy about complexity and how to cope with it. "