Conversations

Conversations with leading thought leaders on topics such as economics, history, complex systems, and others support the work on the Study of Progress.

Seth Baum

Seth Baum is an American researcher focused on global catastrophic risks, including AI, climate change, and biotechnology. He co-founded and directs the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute (GCRI), which addresses threats to humanity’s long-term future. Baum combines environmental science, decision theory, and ethics in his work, advocating for evidence-based global risk management.
Raul Espejo

Raul Espejo, an expert in organizational cybernetics, has shaped the field through his research and co-authored the book Organizational Systems: Managing Complexity with the Viable System Model. As President of the World Organisation of Systems and Cybernetics (WOSC), he emphasizes the practical applications of the Viable System Model (VSM). His work on Project Cybersyn, during Salvador Allende’s presidency, focused on creating a distributed decision-support system for managing Chile’s economy.
Mark Lambertz

Mark Lambertz is a renowned thinker in the fields of cybernetics and organizational design. He is the author of several essential books such as "Freedom and Responsibility for Intelligent Organizations", "The Intelligent Organization", "Better Decisions with Red Teaming", "Responsible Leadership in a Complex World" and "Leading by Weak Signals: Using Small Data to Master Complexity". He helps organizations such as Bosch, BNP Paribas and Metro AG improve their processes in the digital world.
Yaneer Bar-Yam

Yaneer Bar-Yam is an American physicist and complexity scientist, renowned for founding the New England Complex Systems Institute and pioneering the field of complex systems science. He has developed rigorous mathematical tools and real-world applications spanning biological, social, economic, and public health systems—including critical advisement on pandemics such as Ebola and COVID-19. Bar-Yam holds a PhD in physics from MIT and is recognized for bridging complex scientific theory with practical policy, contributing over 200 research papers and leading interdisciplinary teams to address global challenges.
Upcoming