Dissipative Structures
Ordered patterns that persist only by continuously consuming and dispersing energy.
Why it matters now
Hurricanes, convection cells, ecosystems, and cities are all dissipative structures: order bought with throughput. This reframes sustainability precisely. The question is never whether a society consumes energy but whether its throughput is renewable and whether its waste is reabsorbed. Prigogine's insight is that structure and flow are inseparable.
Where this is happening on Earth
- EuropeIlya Prigogine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, BelgiumWon a Nobel Prize for showing how order arises far from equilibrium.
- North AmericaHurricane structure over the Atlantic and GulfA vast organised form sustained entirely by the flow of ocean heat.
- AsiaMonsoon circulation across South and East AsiaA continental-scale pattern maintained by seasonal heat contrast.
- South AmericaAmazon rainforest energy and water throughputEnormous biological order sustained by solar input and recycled rainfall.
- AfricaRift Valley lake stratification and turnoverLayered structures maintained by heat flux, whose breakdown can release stored gases.
The idea itself
The encyclopedia entry first, then live searches at journals and magazines that keep returning current work on this specific idea.
Current reporting from around the world
Standing feeds at reputable periodicals. These stay fresh on their own, which is why they are here instead of a list of articles that would be out of date within a season.