As the scale of human activity expands our interaction with and dependence on Complex Systems, systems whose behaviour cannot be understood or predicted from the characteristics of their component parts, is increasingly rapidly. Continuing failure to deal appropriately with such systems poses a real threat whereas understanding their behaviour offers the possibility of spectacular and unforeseen advances in many areas of science and its application.

It is this threat and this promise that is making complex systems science one of the fastest growing areas of science at the present time. The realization that complex, even intelligent behaviour can arise from the self organization of simple sub-units is a true paradigm shift of major proportions.