A Very Very Short Introduction on Complex Systems

One of the most popular solutions to this problem is the signal-controlled intersection. With an estimated 311,000 signals in the United States alone, nearly everyone on Earth is familiar with this approach.

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Less prevalent, but still well known, is the roundabout. Here cars enter and exit a shared circle that connects all four directions of travel.

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What stands out for you about these two approaches? Did you notice that the signal-controlled intersection doesn’t require much thinking? Only compliance. The roundabout, on the other hand, requires drivers to be present and responsible for their own safety and the safety of others. One allows for a surreptitious text message or two while we wait. The other one keeps things moving. One has a huge apparatus behind it, with control stations and staff monitoring the situation constantly. The other is left to its own devices.

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They reduce injury collisions by 75 percent and fatal collisions by 90 percent. They result in an 89 percent reduction in delays. They are $5,000 to $10,000 cheaper to maintain each year. And of course, they work normally during power outages. And yet which one are we more comfortable with? The signal-controlled intersection. Surprising, right? We confuse popularity with quality.

Dignan, Aaron. Brave New Work

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Aaron says: ‘Misunderstanding innovation, we create systems that inhibit randomness and the beauty of serendipity’