Self Organisation and Indian Traffic Jams
Stumble It!This little video from Paul Kedrosky's blog shows that in the right conditions and with the right players "self-organisation" can be the best solution to a group problem.
To see the video click on The Hive Mind at Work
If you want to play with PC-based simulations of key self-organising concepts then its worth a visit to the MIT Starlogo site where under the PROJECTS section you can simulate the behaviour of bees, fireflies, slime, termites, rabbits, ants and boids (birdoids).
For more on self-managed and self-organizing groups see http://www.bioteams.com/tags/self-managed%20teams
Tags: self-managed teams, swarm
Digg | 
del.icio.us | 
Reddit | 
Yahoo! | 
Add to my favourites
3 Comments | Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Bioteams Books Reviews
Organisational teams: thin slice for responsiveness
Humans and animals do not need complete information to act; they can operate on various clues provided there is a sufficient context. Organizational teams can also use this thin slicing technique in conjunction with short messaging to enhance their performance. Malcolm Gladwell’s introspective book Blink digs deep into the abyss of human cognition to illustrate the human ability to think at a subconscious level. The idea of thin slicing is used where one is introduced to only a few snippets of information which lead to a series of conclusions based on moments of rapid cognition – an ability claimed to be intrinsically dormant in most humans. By bioteams guest author Max Bhanabhai.
Buy it now from:
Amazon.Com
Amazon.Co.UK
Related News & Media Articles
Mobile Digital Nomads on the rise
An excellent article in The Economist (10th April 2008), Nomads at last, describes the growing band of “digital nomads” who travel light from oasis to oasis with only an iPhone or a Blackberry and traces how they evolved from “digital astronauts” (who carried all their vital supplies with them) through “digital hermit crabs” (with a basic shell of devices, batteries and connectors) to their current digital nomadic form.
Wired Magazine features Bioteams
Are you smarter than a goose? Sure you are -- one on one. But when it comes to working efficiently, you and your colleagues can't touch the gaggle. According to author Ken Thompson, geese and other animals that naturally form groups have a lot to teach us about business. In a theory he calls organizational biomimetics, Thompson lays out the principles underlying nature's management strategies. So what can you learn from a bird or an ant? Take a gander. Katharine Gammon at Wired Magazine reports.
Virtual Valentine cards to the rescue
Yes Valentines Day is upon you. You have been too busy at work and have have forgotten to buy, decorate and post that card you intended to send to your beloved(s). And February 14 is this Tuesday! You could still send an e-valentine, but be warned you had better follow it up it with some real flowers or perfume or you could just look cheap! If you are desperate here are some places you could try with something for most tastes:
love this video. i've spent time in mumbai. it's amazing. and usually much more crowded than this, with the same result.
Thanks Kevin - guess the "edge of chaos" is a frightening place to be if you are a passenger!
Self-organizing doesn't always work out so well. In my home town people slow down going through tunnels, for no apparent reason, and in spite of signs reminding them to "maintain speed thru tunnel".
Since the tunnels are along major highways going into the city, this exacerbates rush-hour traffic jams...
The video makes a nice contrast showing how plastic our species is, as my fellow home-time drivers would probably freak out at the kind of situation in the video. :)