Santa Fe
Institute

Why it is that out of all economic variables, debt causes the most trouble?

SFI's 2017 Ulam Lectures: John Geanakoplos on Debt and its Discontents

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What they say about us

Up on the hill there's an institute that is devoted to studying complex systems, and it's world renowned.  [The Santa Fe Institute] is the most famous institute in the world for studying complex systems.


— Melanie Mitchell, SFI Science Board

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Research Themes

Research Theme

Complex Time

Can a theory of complex time explain aging across physical and biological systems?

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Research Theme

Limits

We are exploring the fundamental limits that underlie human endeavor — in learning and understanding, in performance, and in prediction.

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Research Theme

Mental Models of Complexity

Can the ideas and mental models from complexity science be extended and applied beyond academia, to business, policy, and government?

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Research Theme

The Feldstein Program on Law, History, and Regulation

By studying complex historical systems, we will gain deeper insights into the evolution of human societies and cultures.

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Research Theme

Invention & Innovation

How does novelty — both advantageous and unsuccessful — define evolutionary processes in technological, biological, and social systems?

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Research Theme

Complex Intelligence: Natural, Artificial, and Collective

We are measuring and comparing unique and species-spanning forms of intelligence.

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