Physics and the Economy

James B. Glattfelder dedicates his life to studying complexity and his global economics keynote analyzes the world's markets as networks of interactions -- similar to the way different structures are studied in science like flocks of birds or swarms of fish.

Once people move past the idea that the economic crisis and market crash were the cause of overly simplistic economics, people can begin to look at the economy and the way its resources are distributed through a lens of the interactions that take place between its dominant players. Glattfelder suggests that complex equations and theories are not effective tools for understanding the economy; he believes that analyzing ownership networks and shareholder relations will actually provide more insight.

At the end of his keynote, he suggests that the fragile state of the economy and patterns of financial power are more likely caused by self-organization as opposed to a conspiracy.

This global economics keynote provides an interesting approach that not only provides a unique perspective on the economy, but that also simplifies science.