Our stories
Making change in complex systems
Our big global problems can seem overwhelming, but by recognising how systems are related, we can create meaningful solutions.
Spreading: How something travels across a network
In the 21st century, understanding how things spread on networks is vital for the world to thrive.
Saved from extinction? New modelling suggests a hopeful future for te reo Māori
A new mathematical model combined with recent data suggests the future of Māori language is not as grim as it once was.
Scaling: Relationships across size, space and time
In complex systems, the concept of scale refers to the different levels at which a system can be observed or analysed.
Helping the lungs of an ancestor to breathe freely once again
Applying modelling approaches usually used for bodily organs to a lake is pushing the boundaries of complex systems theory and its real-world application.
Wider than freshwater
A good detective doesn’t only look through the magnifying glass, they also put that down and look around them to understand the wider context.
Feedback: Processes that change the thing that caused them
It is through understanding feedback that deep insight into fundamental causes and how to make change can be found.
Intervening in complex food systems to improve food security
Is Australia dropping too many sterile fruit flies from the skies? TPM Whānau member Dr Tom Moore wants to know.
Emergence: How interactions create complexity from simplicity
Emergence is about how complex patterns, structures, and behaviours arise from interactions – giving rise to new system properties.
Caring for our earthly kin
Soil is complex. Beautiful. Wondrous. It gives us food, foundations and filters the air we breathe and water we drink.
Yes, you should mention the myth when you correct it
We used to think that mentioning a myth when debunking it could be harmful, but research has shown that this is not the case.
Complex is different from complicated, and why that matters
In the 21st century, as human societies are growing, becoming more interconnected, and having an increasing influence on planetary systems, it’s complexity that we need to understand.