Thinking ahead

A UK research project is attempting to apply lessons learned from one of the most complex systems of all — the human brain — to improve the efficiency of systems such as air traffic control.

The issue, according to neurology specialist Seth Bullock of Southampton University, who is directing the research, is one of space. 'In the brain, the neurons act like components in an electrical circuit, and signals pass between them very fast,' he said.

'But there's another system at work. It turns out that the neurons are suspended in a kind of chemical soup, and their signal causes changes in that soup which generates new chemicals. They diffuse away and have an effect on the other cells they come into contact with. It's a slower effect, but it's like a broadcasting function.'

Bullock believes that many other complex systems have a similar structure, and this has been neglected in previous studies. 'When people study networks, they'll make a chart of all the different nodes that operate in the network and draw lines to show how they're all connected. You end up with a beautiful filigree, but you're throwing away all the information on the physical space that separates the nodes. We think these spatial aspects can be very important to the modulation of the network.'