"We have a picture for how complexity arises, because if the universe is computationally capable, maybe we shouldn't be so surprised that things are so entirely out of control"
About this Quote
Lloyd is a quantum information theorist, and the context here is the growing tendency in modern physics to borrow metaphors from computer science: reality as information, laws as algorithms, the cosmos as a kind of quantum computer. In that frame, "complexity arises" isn't mystical; it's what happens when simple rules iterate at scale, when feedback loops, emergence, and computational irreducibility kick in. You can know the rules and still be unable to shortcut the outcome.
The subtext is aimed at human expectations. We keep looking for a master explanation that restores a sense of command - in politics, in markets, in climate, in our own bodies. Lloyd offers a different consolation prize: stop being surprised by runaway dynamics. A computational universe doesn't promise order; it promises generativity. Complexity isn't an anomaly to be tamed, it's what you get when reality has the bandwidth to surprise itself.
Quote Details
| Topic | Science |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Lloyd, Seth. (n.d.). We have a picture for how complexity arises, because if the universe is computationally capable, maybe we shouldn't be so surprised that things are so entirely out of control. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-have-a-picture-for-how-complexity-arises-88916/
Chicago Style
Lloyd, Seth. "We have a picture for how complexity arises, because if the universe is computationally capable, maybe we shouldn't be so surprised that things are so entirely out of control." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-have-a-picture-for-how-complexity-arises-88916/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"We have a picture for how complexity arises, because if the universe is computationally capable, maybe we shouldn't be so surprised that things are so entirely out of control." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/we-have-a-picture-for-how-complexity-arises-88916/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.


