Biology & Complex Systems
Academic Area
Understanding intelligence as an emergent property of living and adaptive systems.
Thinking About Thinking Inc. supports interdisciplinary inquiry into biology, psychology, and complex systems, the study of how intelligence, behaviour, and adaptation emerge from interacting components over time.
This focus area brings together researchers and practitioners working across biology, psychology, cognitive science, computational biology, cybernetics, informatics, and complex systems science. We are interested in how intelligence arises in living systems, how behaviour is shaped by context and interaction, and how insights from natural systems inform artificial and collective intelligence.
Our emphasis is on emergence, adaptation, and interaction, moving beyond isolated components to understand systems as wholes
Core Questions We Explore
How does intelligence emerge from biological and psychological processes?
How do feedback, regulation, and control shape complex systems?
What mechanisms underlie learning, behaviour, and adaptation in living systems?
What can biological systems teach us about robustness, resilience, and failure?
Where do reductionist models fall short in explaining complex behaviour?
How do individual cognition and collective dynamics interact?
Upcoming Events
CONFERENCES
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are core themes across our flagship events.
At our AE Global Summits, we convene researchers, builders, and policymakers to examine Open Problems in AI research, infrastructure, applications, and governance.
At our Conference on the Mathematics of Neuroscience and AI we explore the deeper mathematical and computational foundations of learning and intelligence, often in dialogue with neuroscience and cognitive science.
AE Global Summit
Artificial Intelligence, Startup and the future of Society
November 2026
London, United Kingdom
neuroMonster
Neuroscience, Machine Learning, and the Mathematics of Intelligence
June 2026
Rome, Italy
Recordings - Coming Soon
We publish recordings of talks, panels, and seminars to make serious thinking about artificial intelligence and machine learning accessible beyond the conference hall.
ThAT Ambassador Programme
The Thinking About Thinking Ambassador Programme is an open, application-based pathway for students and early stage career researchers who want to take part in serious, interdisciplinary conversations about intelligence.
Ambassadors support Thinking About Thinking’s conferences, workshops, and community initiatives, helping to extend thoughtful dialogue across universities, disciplines, and countries. The programme is designed for people who care deeply about ideas, collaboration, and building intellectual communities.
Outstanding Ambassadors who demonstrate sustained contribution, leadership, and intellectual engagement may be invited into the Thinking About Thinking Fellowship, a private, invitation-only programme for long-term contributors.
