The diminishing returns of increased complexity

[The2ndWheel]

Just trying to do some reading about it here and there. Wanted to ask for some opinions on the topic. Fire away if you have any.

[bryant69]

1. The devil is in the details

Or, to put it another way, how far can you drill down on something before you crush it?

Or at what point can you say "I understand enough to make a decision." Obviously we have the example of President Bush who seems to have never drilled down that far.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[ixion]

2. increasing the complexity of any system inherently increases the entropy

of that system, which decreases the amount of time it will take for the system to ultimately fail.

And entropy, well, that's really what it's all about, IMO. ;-)

You can use just about any type of system for an analogy. A group of people, a software program, an automobile, a corporation, a nation, and so on. All these and more suffer from the flaw fatale' of a tendancy to increase in complexity over time, which ultimately leads to the system's failure, usually collapsing under it's own weight.

Just my two cents.

[FormerDittoHead]

3. In relationship to what?

Very broad. But I think the obvious example is law, for when any society grows and changes, new things happen which create more laws, and make old ones obsolete.