#26 – W. Brian Arthur: On Economies, Santa Fe, and a Life in Ideas

About this episode

Thibault Schrepel interviews W. Brian Arthur, a key figure in complexity science and economics, discussing his insights on the evolution of economies and technology.

In the very first episode of Scaling Theory, I mentioned a few scientists who have shaped my understanding of the world. At the very top of that list is today’s guest: W. Brian Arthur. Brian was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and went on to become one of the most important figures of complexity science. Today, he is widely known as the father of complexity economics, a field that has transformed how we think about the evolution of modern economies. His influence is remarkable. Brian’s work has been cited more than 58,000 times according to Google Scholar. He received numerous awards and recognition, such as being the inaugural laureate of the Lagrange Prize in Complexity Science, an award that many have described as complexity’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Brian has been, at age 37, the youngest endowed chair holder at Stanford University. He went on to work for my institutions, including the Santa Fe Institute, as we will talk about. On a personal note, I consider Brian a friend. Now, what makes me especially happy to have Brian on the podcast is the unique perspective he brings on how economies form and evolve. His understanding of technology, how it emerges…

People in this episode

Host: Thibault Schrepel

Guest: W. Brian Arthur

Topics covered

• complexity science
• economics
• technology
• evolution of economies
• Santa Fe Institute

Keywords

• complexity economics
• W. Brian Arthur
• Santa Fe Institute
• Lagrange Prize
• technology evolution

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Santa Fe Institute

Books & works: Lagrange Prize in Complexity Science

Places: Belfast, Northern Ireland

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