The document discusses complexity, self-organized criticality, and their relationship to freedom. It argues that freedom is greatest within complex networks that have organized themselves into a critical state between order and randomness. In such a state, small actions can have large effects, increasing the potential impact and value of individual choices. Thus the complexity of surrounding networks influences the degree of freedom available.

1. Complexity and Freedom Lessons from nature about human networks and life on the edge

5. Sand piles How do avalanches work?

12. Zipf’s Law

15. Social Networks

29. You send an e-mail… Something random happens Something potentially useful could happen Nothing much happens Chaos Complexity Equilibrium

30. What does that have to do with freedom?

34. Freedom?

35. Freedom?

36. Freedom?

37. Freedom?

38. Freedom?

39. Are your toys wound up?