2026-07-072026-07-07http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/29370The basic laws of physics are simple, so why is the world complex? The theory of self-organized criticality posits that complex behavior in nature emerges from the dynamics of extended, dissipative systems that evolve through a sequence of meta-stable states into a critical state, with long range spatial and temporal correlations. Minor disturbances lead to intermittent events of all sizes. These events organize the system into a complex state that cannot be reduced to a few degrees of freedom. This type of ``punctuated equilibrium'' dynamics has been observed in astrophysical, geophysical, and biological processes, as well as in human social activity.6 figures, Proceedings of 12th Chris Engelbrecht Summer School, Figs. 1 and 2 missingStatistical MechanicsQuantitative Biologytext