Phantom System Models for Emergent Multiscale Systems

In an article in Scientific American, Grant et al. 2006 propose an emergent multiscale complex system: the power grid for the hydrogen economy. They envision “moving tens of gigawatts over hundreds of kilometers with perfect conductors . . . electricity would travel nearly resistance-free through pipes made of a superconducting material. . . . Chilled hydrogen flowing as a liquid inside the conductors would keep their temperature near absolute zero.” Fundamental problems arise in the quest to design, integrate, and deploy engineering know-how along with the existing and new technology. Furthermore, in addition to such technologybased considerations, questions arise about the unintended financial, economic, social, and environmental consequences. Although this emergent system may be years ahead of its time, the U.S. homeland faces myriad threats see the National Planning Scenarios DHS 2005 . Several other examples of emergent multiscale systems are clear and present; some have unthinkable associated costs, risks to human lives, involved technologies, or social and other ramifications. One is the development of defense and protection against weapons of mass destruction WMD . Another is the evolution of the U.S. economy to enable it to withstand threats from global emerging economies. Horowitz 2007 provides a definition of multiscale systems in the context of largescale systems. He writes: “By their nature, large-scale and complex large-scale systems span a number of discrete levels from the highest system level to the lowest component level. As opportunities and risks present themselves, they may have different impacts and require different planned responses at different levels.”