Science’s Third Transition

Stuart Kauffman argues that there is a fundamental scientific break: some complex, energy‑driven systems (like the biosphere) evolve in ways no set of pre‑stated laws can fully entail. They generate novel possibilities — via mechanisms such as autocatalysis and the 'adjacent possible' — that are unprestatable and resist classical predictive engineering. — If true, this changes how policymakers and technologists should treat predictions, risk, and the possibility of 'engineering' living or highly complex systems, affecting AI, bioengineering, and environmental governance.