Life Lessons from the Newest Science - An Essay

by Raima Larter

On September 11, 2001, events occurred that left everybody in the US and many around the world as well, deeply shaken and unsure how to react or even what to do next; in short, our nation—indeed, the whole world—encountered a bifurcation that day. This concept, bifurcation, is drawn from the scientific understanding of change and transformation in the natural world as revealed by the new science of complex systems.

The events of 9/11—four planes hijacked and crashed, some into heavily populated buildings—occurred in the space of a few hours, and by the afternoon of that first awful day, we were all beginning to realize that things would never, ever be the same again. We were left with a sure and certain knowledge that the world we lived in before September 11 no longer existed. This 4000-word essay, first published in the months immediately following this world-changing event and being released again ten years later, shows how the lessons of complex systems science can be applied to coping with and understanding transformational change in our personal lives, and in our collective life as a society. The lessons of complex systems theory remain as relevant today as they were ten years ago, and can help us navigate the dynamic and constantly-changing world we live in.

11 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 3, 2011

About the author

Raima Larter is a writer and scientist. A former college professor and government scientist, she is the author of numerous short stories, three novels, and the popular science book, "Spiritual Insights from the New Science: Complex Systems and Life," published by World Scientific in 2021. Her newest novel is "The Kiss Catastrophe," published in 2024. Raima's first novel, "Fearless," was published by New Meridian Arts Press in February, 2019. Her second novel, "Belle o' the Waters" was published by Mascot Books in April, 2019. Her short stories have been nominated for awards, including the Pushcart Prize. Raima authors the blog, Complexity Simplified, covering topics from science to religion and spirituality and also contributes articles about scientific discoveries to the American Institute of Physics website and other online publications. She has two short story collections, “The Gate of Heaven and Other Story Worlds,” published in 2012, and "Motherhood and Other Magical Realms," published in 2022.