Citation (IEEE): W. Weaver, “Science and Complexity,” American Scientist, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 536–544, 1948.
What it argues
Weaver sorts scientific problems into three classes: problems of simplicity with a few variables, problems of disorganized complexity with huge numbers of randomly behaving parts suited to statistics, and problems of organized complexity, in which a moderate number of factors interrelate as a whole. He argues that the last class, which covers much of biology, medicine, economics and social science, would be science’s great challenge, and that it would require electronic computing and mixed teams drawn from many disciplines.