A practice in the science of complexity
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A practice in the science of complexity |
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| About: | Complexity - a quick tour | Tjurunga? What does it mean | Partners | Press Gallery | |
Canberra, 16 August 2001
Tjurunga Pty Ltd, a complexity science consultancy, launched its new website
for business and government today (www.tjurunga.com).
The site allows business and government to explore the ways in which the science
of complexity may be applied to the strategic problems of enterprises in both
the private and public sectors.
'Australian enterprises can now benefit from this scientific revolution, with its new analytical tools and new ways of thinking about how enterprises really work,' said Tjurunga's founder, Dr Roger Bradbury.
'Complexity thinking has now matured to the point where it can be applied across the spectrum from board level strategy to day-to-day logistics and project management,' added Tjurunga's chief consultant, Bohdan Durnota, a computer scientist who has worked extensively in finance and government sectors.
The site offers a jargon-free introduction to the science of complexity and its applications, as well as useful links to research sites at the leading-edge of this fast moving field. It allows potential users to judge for themselves the claims of this ongoing scientific revolution.
Tjurunga, and its overseas partners, Santa Fe Associates International of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Haight and Seymour plc of London, simulate and model the behaviour of enterprises to explore the emergence of new possibilities. They also simulate and model the environment of the enterprise to help design new markets and to explore the interaction of markets, ecosystems and social systems.
For further information, contact:
Embargoed: 8am, Friday 27 July, 2001
An international team of 18 leading marine scientists has discovered historical overkill of marine life, not pollution, declining water quality or climate change is to blame for the current ecological collapse in our oceans. The new research published in the prestigious US journal Science this week has prompted scientists to make an urgent plea for major reforms to global fishing practices and conservation efforts.
'We started out to study everything that people had ever done to oceans historically and were astounded to discover that in each case we examined, overfishing was the primary driver of ocean collapse,' Australian National University scientist and co-author of the study, Dr Roger Bradbury said.
'On the land, as we killed off the giant mammals and destroyed the ancient forests, we replaced them with a new suite of farmed species. In the coastal seas, we took out animals and replaced them with nothing.'
The research shows contrary to long held beliefs overfishing is not a modern day problem. Aboriginal and colonial fishermen and women were depleting ocean stocks long before the commercial fishing industry came into being. This massive harvesting triggered huge changes in the ocean ecosystem structure and function. 'Removal of key predators and entire layers of the food chain set off sequences of events that are now culminating in toxic algal blooms, dead zones, outbreaks of diseases and other symptoms of ecological instability,' Dr Bradbury said.
Using palaeoecological, archaeological, historical and ecological records the team developed the first accurate chronological snapshots of our oceans, dating back 125 thousand years. 'Oysters, pearls and conches were so abundant, they posed a hazard to those navigating our ancient seas and a few centuries ago whales, sharks, seals, turtles, manatees, dugongs and sea cows numbered in the tens of millions,' Dr Bradbury said.
Marine scientists hope the research will motivate governments and activists to change tack on conservation and fishing practices. 'This knowledge allows us to create scientifically sound strategies to restore and regenerate our oceans, in ways which make our current efforts seem amateurish,' Dr Bradbury said. 'Using these data we now have the opportunity to rebuild our coastal seas and restore their productivity.'
For further information, contact:
Dr Roger Bradbury
Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies
Mobile: +61 0419 221 003
Email: roger@tjurunga.com
Clarissa Thorpe
ANU Media Liaison Manager
Phone: +61 6125 5575
Mobile: +61 0416 249 245
Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 12, 2001
Santa Fe Associates International, an international network of business consulting companies, announced the addition of Tjurunga, an Australian company, to the group. The group's approach is particularly inspired by research done over the past several decades in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the development of 'complexity sciences.' SFAI's leadership includes some of the pioneers in that field.
Tjurunga is a new consultancy specializing in application of advances in the sciences of complexity to business and government. Its offerings cover three areas: Emerging markets based on environmental services; corporate strategies for adapting to changing demands and opportunities; and improvements in business operations.
Tjurunga is headed by Dr. Roger Bradbury, a former chief science advisor in the Australian government, and Bohdan Durnota, a computer scientist with an international reputation is modeling complex systems.
Tjurunga has offices in Canberra and Melbourne.
The addition of Tjurunga to SFAI's international group of consulting companies further extends its capacity to offer unique services on a worldwide basis. With its ongoing expansion, the SFAI group is building a global network of companies to help organizations break through barriers of conventional business practice.
www.santafeassociates.com/SFAI_NEWS/Tjurunga/tjurunga.html
For further information, contact:
Tjurunga Pty Ltd 9 Scott Street Narrabundah
ACT Australia 2604
URL http://www.tjurunga.com/about/press.html
Last modified 16 August 2001