Episodes and Slides:

Below are full video replays of all 25 episodes (lectures) from Season 8 of PoCS, followed by all slides deployed in the course.

bottle episodes; we will occasionally overlay some other tropes.

The slides are clickable pdf's, with links to relevant articles and web pages, section links in the sidebar, and navigation icons at the bottom of each slide. The reference section for each set of slides includes links to papers; superscript citation numbers link to the reference section as well (please let me know if any links or penguins behave badly).

Each set of slides comes in three delicious flavors:

  1. The slides pdf's have flattened frames and are better for reading separately online. Use these if you follow the (terrifyingly long) videos and want to click on things.
  2. If you want a printed copy, possibly because trees upset you, the handout pdf's provide condensed and collapsed versions of the slides. These aren't very hyperlinky however (such is paper).
  3. Lecture pdf's are what was presented in class (and contain all the within page reveals).

Due to remorseless tinkering, the slides may have changed a little from what was recorded. Some video details:

  1. Screen capture and video creation is made possible by ScreenFlow.
  2. Implements include several iPod touches, the Swivl thing, Sennheiser wireless kit, and a Countryman microphone. (A Contour Roam2 and a Garmin Virb have been given a good run each but are now on the bench.)
  3. Episodes are all in HD (1080p this year).
  4. No comfy chairs will be used.

To generate these lectures, I use the excellent beamer LaTeX class, XeLaTeX, PerlTeX, and a selection of handcrafted, possibly dangerous Perl scripts, and the always dangerous Emacs.

Episodes:

Episode 01: Overview with Manifesto.

We hit the ground wondering.


Slides covered:
01. Overview of complex systems.

Episode 02: Power-law size distributions.

The universal Statistics of Surprise and our troubles with probability.


Slides covered:
02. Power-law size distributions.

Episode 03: Zipf's law, Big Social Data in 1949, and Random Walks.

A first foray into understanding where power-law size distributions come from.


Slides covered:
02. Power-law size distributions.
03. Zipfian measurements.
04. Mechanisms leading to power-law size distributions: Part 1.

Episode 04: Random walks, Doctor Who, and the Rich-getting-Richer.

More simple ways to reach the Unexpected Mountains of Reality, and a start on Simon's rich-gets-richer model.


(This was supposed to be the paintball episode. Funding remains tight.)
Slides covered:
04. Mechanisms leading to power-law size distributions: Part 1.
05. Mechanisms leading to power-law size distributions: Part 2.

Episode 05: Simon's rich-gets-richer model.

How innovation controls the distribution of success. Includes bonus catchphrase evolution.


There can be only one theory.
Slides covered:
05. Mechanisms leading to power-law size distributions: Part 2.

Episode 06: Benoît Mandelbrot and the Goblet of Optimization.

The Quickening quickens with Mandebrot taking on Simon. We also explore the emotional plot shapes of the Harry Potter series. Just for fun.


(Adjacent: Colbert punditry-based Quickening here and here.)
Slides covered:
05. Mechanisms leading to power-law size distributions: Part 2.

Episode 07: Projects, Benford's Law, and Robustness.

An aside on Benford's Law (more power-lawfulness), and then onwards to Robust-Yet-Fragile systems such as the Death Star.


ScreenFlow exploded. Sadness. No slides for this one. Fragility exposed.
Slides covered:
06. Suggestions for projects.
07. Benford's law.
08. Robustness, Fragility, and Scaling.

Episode 08: Robustness, HOT versus SOC, and log-snore-mals.

The conclusion to why solid things sometimes fall apart, criticisms of criticality, and then an important, short foray into the world of Things-That-Aren't-Power-Laws including lognormals and scaling breaks. Mechanisms will be included.


Slides covered:
08. Robustness, Fragility, and Scaling.
09. Lognormals and Other Disappointments.

Episode 09: Emergence and limits to our understanding.

We return to some fundamentals about complex systems including the data age, emergence, self-organization, and statistical mechanics.


Slides covered:
01. Overview of complex systems.

Episode 10: Complex Networks: Taxonomy and Properties.

An overview, broad taxonomy, the trouble with network visualizations, and a start on network properties that matter.


Slides covered:
10. Overview of complex networks.

Episode 11: Moar Properties of Complex Networks.

We have a look at clustering, motifs, modularity, branchingness, distances, centrality, and more.


Slides covered:
10. Overview of complex networks.

Episode 12: Generalized Random Networks and Small-World Networks.

Building random networks, small-world history, Bacon and Erdős.


Slides covered:
11. Core models of complex networks.

Episode 13: Let's talk some more about Small-World Networks.

The Columbia experiment, finding 10 red balloons, characterizing and modeling small-worldness.


Slides covered:
11. Core models of complex networks.

Episode 14: Small-World Networks: The talking finally ends.

Major theories of the Small-World Phenomenon.


Slides covered:
11. Core models of complex networks.

Episode 15: Scale-Free Networks.

Everything you ever needed and wanted to know.


Slides covered:
11. Core models of complex networks.

Episode 16: Contagion.

We spread the truth about spreading. Contents: Basic models, biological versus social contagion, and some thoughts on ebola.


Various video recording failures leads to a random incorporation of climbing a Stairway to Heaven in Hawaii.
Slides covered:
12. Contagion-at-large and biological contagion.

Episode 17: Poorly Predicting the Plague.

History of horrible epidemics, why focusing on the Reproduction Number is wrong, and a start on social contagion.


Slides covered:
12. Contagion-at-large and biological contagion.
13. Social contagion.

Episode 18: How Social Contagion Works.

Why we can't predict social contagion; influentials, marketing, narratives, stories, and more.


Slides covered:
13. Social contagion.

Episode 19: Threshold Models of Social Contagion I.

General comments on influence, Cialdini's taxonomy, Granovetter'S threshold model.


More video failure. Let's ride up Tantalus instead.
Slides covered:
13. Social contagion.

Episode 20: Threshold Models of Social Contagion II.

The peculiar and solvable behavior of threshold models on random networks. Also: A woodpecker.


Slides covered:
13. Social contagion.

Episode 21: End of Social Contagion; Onwards to Scaling.

The power of groups, and a start on the great systems story of scaling.


Slides covered:
13. Social contagion.
14. Allometric Scaling.

Episode 22: Scaling armed only with the Back of an Envelope.

A smorgasbord of scaling: biology, engineered systems, nails, trees, Moore's law, cities, and more.


Slides covered:
14. Allometric Scaling.

Episode 23: Truthicide: The Strange Case of Scaling in Biology.

We investigate the apparent truthicide of 2/3 exponent scaling of resting metabolic rate as a function of organismal mass.


Bonus: the Platypus and Echidna. Also: the number 17.
Slides covered:
14. Allometric Scaling.

Episode 24: Truthicide Closure. The Theory of Anything.

Closing arguments in the case against the Church of Quarterology. Final words: Why Complexify? The Big Transitions, and It's all about stories.


Slides covered:
14. Allometric Scaling.
17. Complexification.

Episode 25: Superstardom and Fame.

Homo narrativus: How stories, being individuals, and imitation create fame. Why Shareworthy Content is [Insert Regal Entity of Your Choice].


Online only.
Slides covered:
15. Voting and superstardom.
16. Contagious stories, or How to become famous (really).

Slides:

01. Overview of complex systems.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in these episodes:
S8E01: Overview with Manifesto.
S8E09: Emergence and limits to our understanding.

02. Power-law size distributions.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in these episodes:
S8E02: Power-law size distributions.
S8E03: Zipf's law, Big Social Data in 1949, and Random Walks.


03. Zipfian measurements.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in this episode:
S8E03: Zipf's law, Big Social Data in 1949, and Random Walks.

04. Mechanisms leading to power-law size distributions: Part 1.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in these episodes:
S8E03: Zipf's law, Big Social Data in 1949, and Random Walks.
S8E04: Random walks, Doctor Who, and the Rich-getting-Richer.


05. Mechanisms leading to power-law size distributions: Part 2.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in these episodes:
S8E04: Random walks, Doctor Who, and the Rich-getting-Richer.
S8E05: Simon's rich-gets-richer model.
S8E06: Benoît Mandelbrot and the Goblet of Optimization.

06. Suggestions for projects.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in this episode:
S8E07: Projects, Benford's Law, and Robustness.


07. Benford's law.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in this episode:
S8E07: Projects, Benford's Law, and Robustness.

08. Robustness, Fragility, and Scaling.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in these episodes:
S8E07: Projects, Benford's Law, and Robustness.
S8E08: Robustness, HOT versus SOC, and log-snore-mals.


09. Lognormals and Other Disappointments.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in this episode:
S8E08: Robustness, HOT versus SOC, and log-snore-mals.

10. Overview of complex networks.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in these episodes:
S8E10: Complex Networks: Taxonomy and Properties.
S8E11: Moar Properties of Complex Networks.


11. Core models of complex networks.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in these episodes:
S8E12: Generalized Random Networks and Small-World Networks.
S8E13: Let's talk some more about Small-World Networks.
S8E14: Small-World Networks: The talking finally ends.
S8E15: Scale-Free Networks.

12. Contagion-at-large and biological contagion.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in these episodes:
S8E16: Contagion.
S8E17: Poorly Predicting the Plague.


13. Social contagion.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in these episodes:
S8E18: How Social Contagion Works.
S8E19: Threshold Models of Social Contagion I.
S8E20: Threshold Models of Social Contagion II.
S8E21: End of Social Contagion; Onwards to Scaling.

14. Allometric Scaling.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in these episodes:
S8E21: End of Social Contagion; Onwards to Scaling.
S8E22: Scaling armed only with the Back of an Envelope.
S8E23: Truthicide: The Strange Case of Scaling in Biology.


15. Voting and superstardom.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in this episode:
S8E25: Superstardom and Fame.

16. Contagious stories, or How to become famous (really).
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in this episode:
S8E25: Superstardom and Fame.


17. Complexification.
[slides]     [handout]     [lecture]
       
Covered in this episode:
S8E24: Truthicide Closure. The Theory of Anything.




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