INSTITUTIONS MAKE SENSE

Here is a concept discussed since Aristotle: at each level of complexity in self-organised systems, entirely new features emerge. And they are not the result of a sum or difference in elementary properties, which cannot be used solely and provide no explanations.

This is a metaphor for the national scientific system: we believe that its complexification originated unpredicted capacities which have led to a recent history of progress that was both unexpected and surprising.

For that reason, we have argued that a pulverisation of the system would lead to the mortal sin of simplification – it would kill emerging properties. The aggregation, the structured agglomeration of scientists and groups is precisely what leads to an incredible increase in quality, efficiency, generation of results and progress.

The institution is the structure that guarantees the emerging phenomenon of complexity. It allows levels of integration and strategy that cannot be achieved by smaller groups.

Let us use ants as a biological metaphor. If we gather a million ants, we will have a million ants. If we add a queen, we will have an anthill: a sense of superior existence, of strategy, of collective intelligence.

Being a diligent worker, a warrior ant, is not enough. If there is no institutional strategy, we will be but silly cockroaches, busy in brownian motion.

Even if we are excellent.

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Photo credits: diariodebiologia.com