The Science of Wholeness — Living Systems Economics examination

Eleven questions. Nine of eleven passes, and you can take it again as often as you like.

What consistent finding across the sciences of wholeness does the module highlight?

Parts always determine the behaviour of the wholes they make up Wholes are simply the sum of their individual parts added together, particularly under uncertain conditions Wholes have emergent properties that cannot be predicted from parts alone Wholes are always less stable than the parts that compose them
In the module's reading of quantum field theory, what are economic transactions analogous to?

Local expressions of fields of trust, culture and shared meaning Isolated events that have no effect beyond the two parties Purely mechanical exchanges of goods for money Independent collisions between separate billiard-ball agents, provided nothing else changes in the meantime
Why does the module cite the Swiss National Bank's 2015 decision?

It showed that currency markets always move slowly, as a short-term fix rather than a lasting change It demonstrated that small decisions tend to stay local It proved that markets are unaffected by central banks One local decision rippled instantly through global markets
What is the key vulnerability of scale-free networks, as the module explains?

They have no highly connected nodes to rely on Removing hubs can collapse the whole network They cannot form any new connections as they grow Random failures of small nodes always cause collapse
In systems biology terms, what does the module call a part that optimises solely for itself while ignoring the whole?

Cancer Symbiosis Homeostasis Immunity
What does the module present as an economy's 'immune system'?

A central bank's interest rate decisions, acting alone Unregulated competition between private firms Antitrust, environmental and labour protections Charitable giving by wealthy individuals
How does the module explain the Nordic economies' success?

Strong markets embedded in strong social institutions Reliance on abundant natural resources alone Replacing markets entirely with comprehensive state provision Minimal taxation and very light regulation
What 'category error' does the module warn against in economic design?

Measuring well-being alongside conventional national output Mistaking a living wholeness for a pile of parts Including communities in economic calculations Treating markets as networks of relationship
What did Prigogine's work on dissipative structures show?

Energy flowing through a system always destroys its structure Order can only arise from deliberate central design All systems inevitably dissolve into disorder over time Systems far from equilibrium can self-organise through energy flow
How did Dr Okafor's hospital reduce asthma admissions from one area?

It referred patients from that area to other hospitals It traced the cause to neglected building ventilation and fixed it It built a larger emergency department to handle demand, based on outward appearances alone It prescribed more bronchodilators to every asthma patient
What principle explains why the hospital's operating margin improved after investing in community health?

Preventing illness always costs a hospital its customers Cutting staff numbers is the surest way to reduce costs The health of the whole is the health of each part Efficiency metrics alone reliably guarantee profit