Are star systems more interesting than human beings?

by phil on Thursday May 6, 2010 12:16 PM
complexity

Rusty and I were hiking, when he pointed to an old tree and said that that tree was more interesting than most human beings.

Further, he added:

• Star systems are more interesting than humans.
• Fractals are the most beautiful art form because of how little is required to generate them.
• Ants are beautiful because in spite of their simplicity, they build complicated tunnels and social systems.
• He prefers the game Go over chess, as the ruleset is simpler, yet the gameplay more complex.

I, on the other hand, believe that a systems' order is what matters most, and therefore the human brain should be at the top of the hierarchy. To me, human trappings like consciousness, reason, and empathy are the most meaningfully complex, and therefore, most interesting things in the Universe.