Welcome to Taming Complexity. We are a group of technology policy analysts who can tell you why organizations and societies make bad decisions about science and technology, and how they could make better ones. Taming Complexity brings to the forefront the essential social and political factors shaping if, when, and how disaster strikes. But it's not just doom and gloom. For every bad decision there could be a better one. For every mistake there can be a lesson learned. In exposing the social dimensions of error, we unearth precautions that drive organizational success. Like what you’re reading? We can apply the same analysis to *your* organization. Get in touch with us to see what we can do to help your organization avert disaster.
Within these pages you can expect three types of stories:
The Freeway to Failure
We will be examining a variety of case studies from the perspective that failed components or operator error is usually not the complete story. Why were there unintended consequences? What were the organizational failures? How did public trust erode?
Better Navigating Uncertainty
The direction of technological change is not fixed. Innovators stand before countless potential paths, and sometimes they choose very regrettable ones. Why are some technologies neglected, pathways forgone? How can we learn more quickly about our technological choices so we know more quickly when we need to change course? What can organizations do to stay more nimble and adaptable?
The Road Less Traveled
From the Danish development of wind power to the construction of Quartier Vauban, some technological stories have happy endings. We explain these partial successes, to see what we can learn from them, and how we might apply those lessons to future technological development. Maybe even for your organization?
