Professor Chen began to explain what systems thinking is.

He said that many people are accustomed to “chain‑like causality”—A leads to B, which in turn leads to C—but the real world is rarely such a simple, straight line. In reality, the world operates through “feedback loops.” When you treat someone well, they sense it and, in turn, treat you kindly—this is positive feedback. Conversely, if you treat someone poorly, they retaliate in kind—this too is positive feedback, only negative. When body temperature deviates from 36.7°C, the body automatically regulates it back to normal—this is negative feedback.

He illustrated this with a very everyday example: “In a relationship between two people, when I see that he treats me well, I feel it and, in turn, I treat him kindly, creating a cycle. Conversely, if he treats me badly, I retaliate, which only makes him hate me even more—another cycle. Emotions, after all, operate in feedback loops.”

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts—emergence

Professor Chen also introduced a principle known as “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”—emergence.

Ant colonies can build bridges, but a single ant cannot. The human brain contains billions of neurons, each processing only simple electrical signals, yet when interconnected, they give rise to consciousness, thought, and emotion. A single water molecule has no concept of “wetness,” but when countless water molecules come together, “wetness” emerges.

“Three cobblers with their wits combined equal Zhuge Liang,” not because each of them is exceptionally clever, but because their interactions give rise to something new.

Chaos, Self-Organization, and the Butterfly Effect

He also discussed “chaos.” In the Lorenz system, even a minuscule difference in initial conditions can lead to vastly different outcomes—this is the butterfly effect. The Three-Body Problem There is no analytical solution—not because of insufficient computational power, but because of the system’s intrinsic properties. The reason weather forecasts cannot be accurate over long time scales lies precisely in this chaotic behavior: “You cannot measure the current state of the atmosphere with infinite precision; even the slightest measurement error will inevitably lead to substantial deviations in the calculations.”

There is also “self-organization.” How do typhoons form? Without central command, they arise spontaneously through positive feedback—driven by water vapor evaporation and heat exchange—giving rise to an ordered structure. The same holds for ants building bridges: with no queen at the helm, the ants communicate via antennae and link their bodies, spontaneously forming a “living bridge.” “No one asks it to do so, nor can anyone direct all the ants to act according to their own ideas.”

Qian Xuesen’s Foresight: The Significance of Systems Science Is “No Less Than That of Relativity”

Professor Chen also cited Qian Xuesen’s assessment of systems science. In the 1980s and 1990s, Qian Xuesen remarked: “The establishment and development of systems science will spark a revolution in science and technology, one whose significance is no less than that of relativity and quantum mechanics.” Professor Chen noted that Qian Xuesen classified systems science as one of the eleven major branches of the modern scientific and technological system, viewing it as a universal framework of thought and methodology that cuts across all disciplines.

In his view, true human intelligence is not merely computational; it also encompasses intuition and emotion, requiring a synthesis of science and art. “Have you noticed that many physicists are, in fact, accomplished artists? For instance, Einstein played the violin. When Qian Xuesen was in the United States, he too was a member of an orchestra and even gave concerts. Great scientists often draw inspiration from artistic sensibilities—inspiration that does not stem solely from rational analysis.”

A Single Match: Putting Systems Science to Work

In the latter half of the lecture, Professor Chen introduced the National Youth Science Inquiry and Modeling Competition—specifically its Systems Science track. This competition is open to primary and secondary school students nationwide and consists of three stages: a preliminary round, a semi-final round, and a national final. The preliminary round involves answering multiple-choice questions on a computer; the semi-final requires selecting one project from a pool of 23 to develop; and in the national final, participants further refine their work through an on-site exhibition and defense.

Group C1 (Introductory Exploration)

A question is called “ Droplet Electrostatic Generator “Using soda cans, plastic bottles, and metal wire to build a device that makes water droplets produce electrical sparks—‘If you have the time, you can try building one; it allows the electric charge between two metal cups to gradually build up, eventually resulting in a discharge.’”

There’s also a question called “The Bowl of Knowledge,” which prompts students to consider how to review most efficiently—balancing time between new and old material to determine the optimal ratio that maximizes what the brain retains.

Group C2 (General High School Category)

“Who is the key figure in the family?” — Have students construct a family network and determine who wields the greatest influence. “How do bird flocks perform their spectacular dances?” — Simulate flocking behavior using three simple rules. “The staircase from order to chaos” — Use… Logistic map Draw a period-doubling bifurcation diagram and witness firsthand how chaos emerges. “Chaos Philosophy in Dough Kneading” — through a physical experiment of stretching and folding, gain an understanding of the mathematical principles underlying mixing efficiency. “Ant Colony Algorithm Lab” — use the evaporation and accumulation of pheromones to simulate how collective intelligence finds the optimal path.

C3 Group (High School Elite Group)

“The Avalanche of Sand Piles” — investigating how tiny perturbations can trigger large-scale collapses, and verifying power-law distributions. “Rumors Travel Faster Than the Truth” — simulating how rumors spread through networks to identify critical nodes that can halt their propagation. “Why Do Ghost Traffic Jams Occur?” — using cellular automata to model traffic flow, exploring how an inadvertent brake can spark a congestion several kilometers away. “How Columns Can Save Lives” — examining how seemingly obstructive columns in crowd evacuations can, paradoxically, enhance overall evacuation efficiency. “A Stunning Leap from Insulation to Conductivity” — studying percolation: when metal and glass beads are mixed in a certain proportion, the system suddenly becomes conductive. “The Butterfly Effect in Chaotic Pendulums” — constructing a double-pendulum apparatus to observe how minute differences in initial conditions get exponentially amplified. “Can Global Affairs Be Quantified?” — using United Nations voting data to quantify international relations and delineate geopolitical blocs.

“There is no single correct answer to any of the questions,” said Professor Chen. “Each one requires observing phenomena, abstracting underlying mechanisms, constructing models, and validating and refining them.”