Fractals, Factories and Fast Food

We live in a fractal world. Communications, transportation, utilities; from the devices on our wi-fi, to our homes themselves, to the towns and cities where we live and work, our world is built of networks within networks. Some networks are conceptual; models designed to capture one particular dimension of a system or a problem. Some networks are physical; the street outside our front door, the cables and pipes that bring power, water and data into our homes - even the human body is a set of networks, a constant flow of material and information from where it’s available to where it’s needed. And whenever we order a pizza, stream a movie, or even just switch on a light, we’re tapping into an unbelievably complex network of systems and connections that make these everyday conveniences possible.

Dylan Beattie is a nerd. He’s the kind of nerd who invents programming languages for fun. Dylan loves pizza and tech, he doesn’t like phone calls or washing up, and he thinks online food delivery is one of the coolest things we humans have ever invented. But in the grander scheme of things, the journey of a slice of pepperoni pizza - from the app, to the restaurant, to your door - is just a tiny part of a much bigger story. Join Dylan for an entertaining and enlightening look at the technical and social innovations that keep our networked world running: how did we get here? What happens when one of those networks fails? And what does our networked future look like?

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