​The natural world is an archetype of complexity. Join us for 5 days of complexity-themed study and discussion, as well as hiking and relaxed socialising, amid the natural beauty of the Norwegian fjords.

​Who?

​This is for people who 

• ​Are interested in exploring big-picture philosophical questions related to complexity, such as the nature of complex systems, and how complexity theory applies to cosmic, biological, and especially cultural evolution, as well as social and economic systems more generally.

• ​Enjoy discussing ideas with curious, like-minded people in a relaxed and inspiring environment.

​What

​The week will be largely participant-led: we'll start with a group session to introduce ourselves and our interests and plans for the week, and agree on a basic daily timetable.

​As hosts, we expect plenty of unstructured discussion (including hiking), as well as time to work on personal projects, particularly in the morning, but will also seek to build some structured discussion into the daily schedule, most likely in the form of flash talks followed by discussion later in the afternoons. 

​With regard to the topics for structured discussion, these will be driven by participants’ interests: as co-hosts we are particularly interested in exploring how fundamental ideas in complexity science can be used to model global dynamics, but you are welcome to propose any topic that relates to big picture questions around complexity science.

​We expect evenings to be a mix of continued unstructured discussion, general socialising, use of the outdoor jacuzzi and potentially music-making (if participants are able to bring instruments that they play).

​Life Itself regularly hosts residencies at its Bergerac hub and the co-living arrangements will be loosely based on these, with an expectation that everyone is willing to help out with cooking and basic cleaning.

​How it works

​Click 'request to join' to complete the short registration form.

​We now have a core cohort of confirmed participants, but registrations remain open. We welcome additional joiners, but encourage you to register as soon as possible if you are interested to make practical planning easier.

​Once registered, you will receive a document with practical info and next steps, e.g. regarding travel to the venue.

​Where?

​A large, comfortable cabin with room for up to 11 people in a mix of private and shared rooms, a kitchen for self-catering, internet, a outdoor jacuzzi, beautiful views, and good hiking trails nearby. 

​The venue is close to shops and other amenities, and less than an hour by road from Bergen airport.

​How much?

​A contributions of 300GBP is required from the majority of participants, though we will seek to enable those with financial constrains to contribute a lower amount.

​Note that you will need to cover the cost of getting to the location. Flights to Norway are sometimes available for less than £100 from the UK. We will arrange for shared van hire from the airport to the venue for those who arrive at a suitable time of day.

​Any questions?

​Feel free to contact Jonah directly here on Luma, or at [email protected]

​About us

​Jonah and Max are interdisciplinary researchers with an interest in complex systems.

Jonah co-leads the Life Itself Research collective and is also a curator of the Second Renaissance initiative, organising events for the London chapter. His substack is thewiderangle where he writes about the bigger picture of philosophy, complexity and cosmology.

Max was recently a Life Itself Research Fellow. He is currently developing a concept portal [SourceCodeX] to clarify and communicate core ideas surrounding the metacrisis and the third attractor. Before this, Max was also a Principles of Intelligence Research Fellow, with supervision from the Alignment of Complex Systems Research Group, extending (AI) alignment to humans and society as forms of collective intelligence.

​About Life Itself Research

​Life Itself Research is a research collective exploring paths to a Second Renaissance and awakening societies. We have a weekly discovery call where we present research in progress. Complexity science as applied to cultural evolution is among our core research areas.