The term synergy was refined by R. Buckminster Fuller who analyzed some of its implications more fully[9] and coined the term Synergetics.[10] Synergy can be understood as the opposite of the concept entropy. Hence it was perhaps more of a 'discovery' etymologically speaking.

* A dynamic state in which combined action is favored over the difference of individual component actions.
* Behavior of whole systems unpredicted by the behavior of their parts taken separately, known as emergent behavior.
* The cooperative action of two or more stimuli (or drugs), resulting in a different or greater response than that of the individual stimuli.

The evolution of life and intelligence on Earth has finally reached the point where it is now deemed possible to engender something almost out of nothing. In principle, a universe of possible worlds based on generative principles inherent within nature and the physical universe is considered to be within the realm of the computable once quantum computing systems become a reality. For the first time, humankind is finally in possession of the power to change and transform the genetic constitution of biological species, which, without a doubt, has profound implications for the future of life on Earth. By bringing into the foreground the hidden reservoir of life in all its potential manifestations through the manipulation of the genetic code, the unmasking or the transgression of what could be considered the first principle of prohibition – the taking into possession of what was once presumed to be the power of God to create life – may lead to conditions that are so precarious and treacherous as to even threaten the future viability of the species, Homosapiens, on Earth. At the same time, depending on how humankind navigates into the universe of possible worlds that are about to be siphoned through computation, it could once again bring forth a poetic re-enchantment of the world, one that resonates with all the attributes of a premodern era derived, in this instance, from the intersection of the seemingly irreconcilable domains of logos and mythos. Organically interconnected to form a new plane of immanence that is digital, computation is the modern equivalent of a global alchemical system destined to transform the world into the sphere of hyper-intelligent beings.

The power of computation is already evident in the fact that in less than 70 years since the inception of the Universal Turing Machine, it has ushered in the Information Revolution by giving rise to one of the most significant and now indispensable phenomenon in the history of communication: the Internet or, what could also be characterised as the universe of the Adjacent Possible. Stuart Kauffman defines the Adjacent Possible as the expansion of the networks of reaction graphs within an interactive system into the neighbourhood domain of connectivity which until then remain only in a state of pure potentiality. He suggests that: ‘The Universe has not explored all possible kinds of people, legal systems, economies or other complex systems,’ and that ‘autonomous Agents tend to arrange work and coordination so that they are expanding into the Adjacent Possible as fast as they can get away with it.’

Systems Thinking has been defined as an approach to problem solving, by viewing "problems" as parts of an overall system, rather than reacting to specific part, outcomes or events and potentially contributing to further development of unintended consequences. Systems thinking is not one thing but a set of habits or practices within a framework that is based on the belief that the component parts of a system can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation. Systems thinking focuses on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect.

Systems thinking leads to another conclusion–however, waiting, shining, obvious as soon as we stop being blinded by the illusion of control. It says that there is plenty to do, of a different sort of "doing." The future can't be predicted, but it can be envisioned and brought lovingly into being. Systems can't be controlled, but they can be designed and redesigned. We can't surge forward with certainty into a world of no surprises, but we can expect surprises and learn from them and even profit from them. We can't impose our will upon a system. We can listen to what the system tells us, and discover how its properties and our values can work together to bring forth something much better than could ever be produced by our will alone.

Zen Master Dogen said that “not knowing is the most intimate thing.” Not knowing means to be open to all eventualities, to not prejudge a person or situation. If your mind is full of preconceived notions, there is no room for an unbiased view. It is like when your hands are full of objects, you cannot pick up anything new. A closed mind causes separation and suspicion. Like an umbrella, a mind is only useful when it is open. The first step toward maintaining an open mind is to understand the nature of mind or self.