> [!tldr] Emergence > the principle that entities exhibit properties which are meaningfully only when attributed to the whole, not to its parts > [[Systems Engineering Book of Knowledge|SEBoK]] pg153 A great evocative example of emergence: > [!cite] Bird example 🦅 > Feathers, beaks, wings, and gullets do not have the ability to overcome gravity; however, when they are properly connected to a bird, the create the emergent behavior of flight. > > [[Systems Engineering Book of Knowledge|SEBoK]] pg153 Emergence is a **macro-level** property of systems, in particular [[System Complexity|complex systems]]. It's a [[Pattern]] of systems behavior, and one of the benefits behind using [[Systems Thinking]]. Emergence is ultimately what we're going for when we create systems. The types of emergence we "expect" and design the system to accomplish are called _simple emergence_. There are, however, often (or always) _unexpected_ emergences, called **strong emergence**. These can be difficult-to-impossible to predict and can be catastrophic. [[Iteration is the Only Effective Method of Controlling Emergence]]. **** # More ## Source - [[Systems Engineering Book of Knowledge]] ## Related - [[System Complexity]] - [[Systems Engineering]] - [[Low-Cost Trials]] - [[Plan for Failure]]