Emergent systems can absolutely create emergent cathedral-style outcomes.
Last week I talked about the Sea Shanty craze on TikTok.
A natural example is termite mounds.
Beautiful, monumental outcomes, without a central planner.
From other episodes
- When you can feel the emergent system, you see how very small, low-level, common-sense asymmetries can add up to way more than the sum of their parts.2026-04-13
- We talk about collective intelligences all the time, naturally.2026-04-06
- Some systems are emergent, but many systems are not.2026-03-30
- Modern systems are about occupying your attention.2026-03-17
- People who grew up with TikTok might not know what it feels like to reflect.2026-03-02
- Patient emergent systems will explore every nook and cranny of a space.2026-03-02
- Google's Personal Intelligence knows a lot but..2026-01-19
- Why did Dubai Chocolate suddenly become such a Thing?2026-01-19