Try our latest Poetry generating chatbot trained to Frederick Turner’s writing style here.
Mission
Off-Center of Emergence Studies (OC4ES) is a hybrid between a “Think Tank” and an astronomical observatory; we at OC4ES seek to detect and study interesting new phenomena that have emerged in nature and that are emerging in human activities. We are a trans-cultural and trans-generational group of volunteers who are especially interested in two activities:
- Bringing together creative experts from different fields to discuss emergence in their fields;
- Teaching students about emergence and how it is affecting and will affect their lives and careers.
Above all else, OC4ES works to foster a transdisciplinary network of emergence studies in all parts of UTD in a continuing effort to smash the boundaries between art, science, business, and government.
Watch a short video on emergence here.
What does “Off-Center” Mean with Respect to Research at UT Dallas?
the term center is the official designation for a formal research center
comprised of professors, students, and community members who come together to
study topics. OC4ES is not yet a formal research center, so we use the term off-center as we work toward achieving our formal designation
What is Emergence?
Emergence is the propensity for high-energy, far-from-equilibrium systems to self-organize in ways that cannot yet be predicted from a detailed understanding of system components. Emergent systems evolve, and evolution is both bottom-up and top-down: the interacting parts determine the whole, while the whole determines the arrangement and activity of the parts.
Examples of emergent phenomena where low-level rules give rise to higher-level complexity include spiral galaxies, chemical catalysis, hurricanes, living organisms, and the internet. Universities themselves are emergent systems, and UTD is an outstanding example.
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