Anything at Scale

While we usually talk about non-linear scale transformations in physical materials (radically different properties exhibited at nano scale, for example) there are also different scale effects driven by people and businesses. What will happen at scale is not always apparent, especially when our observations are biased toward single user or small group settings. Situations can grow less obvious or chaotic with growth.

Let’s look at effects of scale transformations in housing, fast wealth creation in a large population, transportation, and what happens when forces converge on places that are just too beautiful. Continue reading “Anything at Scale”

One Child Policy (Outcomes in China)

After 35 years, China’s One Child Policy has come to an end. Carried out with high compliance and across a large population (at scale a decision is at greater risk of second-order effects) the policy had unexpected outcomes.

The One Child Policy has been a common topic over the years (even the Economist published a recent article on “The Law of Unintended Consequences,” about changed attitudes in China toward family size). Let’s look at what happened over the last 35 years and why.

Continue reading “One Child Policy (Outcomes in China)”