Remember when “chaos theory” and “complex systems” first hit the public consciousness? (I have a copy of James Gleick’s “Chaos” on my bookshelves, and you probably do too - unless you’re young, which case you’re saying “what are these bookshelves of which you speak?”).

One of the most prominent names in those early years was Stuart Kauffman, one of the big mucky-mucks with the Santa Fe Institute, probably the best-known organization trying to quantify those New Agey-sounding concepts. Well, Kauffman is expanding to lovely New England: He has just been hired by the University of Vermont, which is something of a coup for them. Kauffman will have a joint appointment in the colleges of medicine and engineering.

On the slightly snarky side, I must point out that he’s 70 years old, which for most of humanity means his creative years are behind him (classical musicians being on the rare exceptions). Still, it’s good to have a nationally known name in the neighborhood.

For an example of the practical effects of understanding complex systems, here’s an NY Times article about its use to predict the path of pollution in a California bay.

Tags: chaos theory; complex systems; santa fe institute