Science of Business I
22 May 2018
A dinner and discussion about applying principles from evolution and ecology to seemingly intractable problems in business and politics.
An ecosystem is a community of species in a single habitat. Interdependencies within the ecosystem mean the fate of one species can have surprising effects on the ecosystem as a whole. In a similar way, interconnected firms make up an economic ecosystem, and many of the challenges facing it are analogous to those confronting the natural ecosystem. Examples include resilience in the face of unexpected events, the agility to handle sudden environmental change, and the risk of cascading failure leading to ecosystem collapse.
In this dinner at the London Institute, we discuss the application of biological principles to problems in business and the environment. National Academy of Sciences biologist Simon Levin talks about evolutionary strategies for tackling intractable challenges in climate change. Former Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir John Beddington discusses lessons from ecology on mitigating risk in complex ecosystems. Shifting to current events, New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman discusses reinventing the political process using evolutionary principles.
Business: Is it rocket science?
Business: Is it rocket science? is a series of dinners for business leaders, scientists and journalists to meet and discuss the science of business and the business of science. It is co-hosted by the London Institute, the BCG Henderson Institute and Princeton University.