Networks become more valuable as more people use them. Complex adaptive systems have many organizational levels where lower-level building blocks form higher-level organisms. These systems create something greater than the sum of parts through interactions that can't be predicted from studying components in isolation.

Complex adaptive systems are perpetual novelty machines. They constantly learn, adapt, and evolve without ever reaching final equilibrium. Unlike complicated systems which are intricate but static, complex adaptive systems generate continuous innovation through interaction and selection.