“The designs we see in nature are not the result of chance. They rise naturally, spontaneously, because they enhance access to flow”…
– Adrian Bejan
In 1687 English Physicist Sir Isaac Newton (1) published his seminal work, Principia (2).
Considered by many as the most remarkable science book ever written, Newton described the workings of the solar system through mathematical equations explaining the planetary orbits.
It fundamentally changed how we viewed the universe, introducing the Laws of Gravity and Newtonian Physics or Classical Mechanics, catalysing the Industrial Revolution.
In 1995 Physics quietly went through a similar seismic shift.
Romanian-American Engineering Professor and a leading global academic in Thermodynamics — Dr Adrian Bejan (3), published a paper that outlined the Constructal Law (4).
A law that changes everything and sees physics converge with the Natural World.
A concept that bridges the gap between physics, evolutionary biology, the natural world, technology, and social organisations (5).
The law states that for a finite flowing & moving system to endure (i.e. survive) over time, it must have the freedom to morph, change and move more & more easily.
In essence, it captures the notion that to live is to move and change.
A living system must evolve to provide easier access to the currents that flow through it.
The law applies to inanimate systems such as rivers, technology and animate systems such as the evolution of life, the growth of trees, human lungs, Olympic athletes, etc. It also applies to social design, such as laws, government and social systems.
The Industrial Revolution was fueled by the Constructal Law and the underlying principles of thermodynamics, which delivered the ever more efficient energy conversion into heat, power, and movement.
Steam engines, automobiles, human flight, energy plants, and industrial automation were all anchored in these concepts, which drove the explosion in the wealth and GDP of nations.
The wealth of nations has become highly correlated to energy consumption (6).
As we progress through the 21st Century and the Knowledge Age, the Constructal Law will continue to shape the evolution of our world.
However, the current will increasingly shift from energy to human knowledge for systems such as society, organisations, people, and technology.
Renowned 20th Century Management thinker Peter Drucker once said:
“Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes”…
Applying these Constructal Law principles, an Organisation’s competitive advantage, evolution, and survival will be tied to how effectively it harnesses the human potential of its teams, collaborates and turns information into knowledge to solve customer and community problems.
Organisations that change and morph their structures over time to provide easier and easier access to flows of this new knowledge (the current ) across their people will have the capacity to evolve and survive.
A shift to networks of teams, supportive leadership, experimentation & adaptation, distributed decision-making, transparency and talents & Mastery.
From a personal perspective, learning to learn, embracing new ideas, acquiring new knowledge and skills, building networks, collaborating, and problem-solving will be central to this shift.
At a societal level, our capacity to foster, debate, and embrace new ideas and develop new knowledge that can apply across our communities will influence the rise and fall of nations.
The flow of new knowledge creation will likely be akin to how access to energy fueled the Industrial Revolution.
It will be the primary driver of GDP, new Wealth creation and prosperity in the 21st Century.
In such an emerging World, will we provide the leadership, frameworks, and flexibility for our systems to have the freedom to morph, change and move more & more easily over time?
To move and evolve will be to live and thrive in the decades ahead.
