# Emergence ![[Quotes#^620ab0]] When things interact, they often birth new, unpredictable forms. **The sum total of a system is more than its competent parts**. E.g: biological [[evolution]], Conway's Game of Life, Wikipedia, Minecraft. <iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o_ZuWbX-CyE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> You can't top-down plan emergent [[systems]], but you can provoke them into being. [Here are some attributes that emergent systems often have](http://gordonbrander.com/pattern/provoking-emergence/): - [[Evolution]] - More than one goal that can be achieved in more than one way. - Alphabet: An alphabet is a kit of parts, together with rules for combining them (e.g Lego). The simpler the building blocks, the better. - A holon is something that is simultaneously a whole in and of itself, as well as a part of a larger whole (e.g: humans). - An easy initial learning curve but infinite potential (e.g. Minecraft). - Involves multiple agents. It has [[network effects]].