# Complex Systems Develop Capacities Their Parts Do Not Possess by Bryant McGill > “Emergence explains how complex systems develop capacities none of their parts possess. The whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Gilbert Ryle's phrase "the ghost in the machine," borrowed today in talk of artificial intelligence and the singularity, points to that mystery, and the sooner humanity understands it, the better.” > **— Bryant McGill**, *The Ultimate Christmas Gift of Returning Yourself to Yourself - Livestream (Dec 2015)* ## Sources and Context - **Source:** [[livestreams/The Ultimate Christmas Gift of Returning Yourself to Yourself - Livestream|The Ultimate Christmas Gift of Returning Yourself to Yourself - Livestream]] — exact quotation from the developed livestream document. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/A Systems-Diagnostic Framework for Planetary-Scale Computation|A Systems-Diagnostic Framework for Planetary-Scale Computation]] - **Article:** [[articles/Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution|Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution]] - **Livestream:** [[livestreams/The Ultimate Christmas Gift of Returning Yourself to Yourself - Livestream|The Ultimate Christmas Gift of Returning Yourself to Yourself - Livestream]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Consciousness Emergence|Consciousness Emergence]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “Emergence explains how complex systems develop capacities none of their parts possess. The whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Gilbert Ryle's phrase "the ghost in the machine," borrowed today in talk of artificial intelligence and the singularity, points to that mystery, and the sooner humanity understands it, the better.” — Bryant McGill, The Ultimate Christmas Gift of Returning Yourself to Yourself - Livestream (Dec 2015) https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-bryant-mcgill-emergent-capacities-beyond-parts ```