The Nature of Technology: What It Is and How It Evolves
A theory of technological evolution based on combinatorial principles
"The economy itself emerges from the technologies that give it structure."
— W. Brian Arthur
My Review
Arthur provides a framework for understanding technological evolution as a combinatorial process - similar to how biological evolution recombines existing genetic material. This helps explain why innovation often follows predictable patterns despite seeming random.
Why It Matters
Arthur provides a framework for understanding technological evolution as a combinatorial process - similar to how biological evolution recombines existing genetic material. This helps explain why innovation often follows predictable patterns despite seeming random.
Key Ideas
- Technologies are combinations of other technologies - all the way down
- Novel technologies emerge by combining existing ones in new ways
- Technology evolves by capturing and harnessing natural phenomena
- The economy is an expression of its technologies
How It Connects to This Framework
The framework's treatment of innovation and adaptation draws on Arthur's combinatorial view. Book 6's chapters on mutation and gene flow parallel Arthur's description of how new technologies emerge from recombination.
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The full Biology of Business book explores these concepts in depth with practical frameworks.