Complexity Science Hub

18/06/2026

🎉 Our anniversary publication is now available! With "It’s the Complexity, Stupid", we take stock of a decade – borrowing from James Carville, who distilled Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign into the single line: “It’s the economy, stupid.”

“Complexity is the very condition for understanding the world we live in today,” as CSH president Stefan Thurner puts it. “And this book offers an insight into what ten years of consistently pursuing that question have produced.”

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:

🗣️ forewords by CSH President Stefan Thurner, Helga Nowotny, Chair of the CSH Advisory Board, and Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen;

🌍 insights into our 13 research topics – from supply chains and urban sustainability to algorithmic fairness and health across species – each paired with an essay by a journalist on its societal relevance;

💡 a section on what complexity science actually is, written for audiences ranging from curious five-year-olds to deep thinkers who love data;

🎓 an overview of how CSH trains the next generation of complexity scientists through its , , and initiatives such as , which brings complexity science into classrooms;

🖼️ a section on and its power to make complexity tangible and understandable;

⏳ and a timeline at the very end (essentially, the short version of 10 years CSH).

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🔗 Download the online version here: https://csh.ac.at/news/its-the-complexity-stupid/
Printed copies can be picked up at our CSH office.

PS: What you see here ( 👇 ) is AI turning photos into little videos 👀

17/06/2026

🌟 Congrats, Ljubica Nedelkoska! The CSH researcher has just published a piece in Nature on one of the more consequential questions of the AI moment: not how fast jobs will disappear, but who pays when they do.

Ljubica argues that welfare states built on labour taxation are structurally ill-equipped for an AI-driven economy and will need "fundamental redesign." What this could look like, read for yourself.

🔗 Here's the link to the online version: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01877-y
📖 The link to the print version can be found in the comments.

As machines replace human labour, welfare states built on salary-linked taxation will need fundamental redesign.

16/06/2026

A decade ago, Stefan Thurner and two colleagues started something in Vienna. Yesterday evening, under a warm summer sky in the garden of Palais Springer-Rothschild, we marked what it has become. Together with around 200 guests who have been part of this journey in one way or another, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗯.

It was not always only breakthroughs — though there were quite a few of those. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗳𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, CSH's co-founder and president and the driving force behind every step of this journey, spoke about the (sometimes bumpy) road traveled and what science can do when given the room and the rigor to do it.

Federal Minister 𝗘𝘃𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘇𝗹𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 (Bundesministerium für Frauen, Wissenschaft und Forschung ) underscored CSH's particular role as an interface between universities, policymakers, public administration, and industry. And 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗮 𝗡𝗼𝘄𝗼𝘁𝗻𝘆, chair of the CSH Advisory Board, pointed to where she sees a great potential today: in combining mathematical and natural-scientific methods with the questions and expertise of the social sciences.

The evening was also the launch of our 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 "It's the Complexity, Stupid" – a stocktaking of a decade and an invitation to see what ten years of consistently pursuing the complexities of the world we live in have produced: https://csh.ac.at/news/10-years-of-complexity-science-hub/

⭐ It was a wonderful (maybe even a little magical) evening.
Thanks to all for being there and celebrating with us. And for those who couldn't be there but would like to see what it looked like: https://csh.ac.at/news/10-years-of-complexity-science-hub/

🙏 A special thank you to our 11 member institutions (AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, BOKU University, Central European University, Interdisciplinary Transformation University (IT:U), Medizinische Universität Wien, TU Wien, Technische Universität Graz, Universität für Weiterbildung Krems, Vetmeduni, Wirtschaftskammer, WU (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien)) and our core funders, the Oesterreichische Nationalbank and Stadt Wien – without whom none of this would have been possible.

📸 © Sebastian Philipp

15/06/2026

🎂 𝟭𝟬 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗯
An earthquake on the other side of the world. A single social media post. One extra traffic light. What do they have in common? They can have nearly no impact – or an enormous one. When the earthquake destroys a factory that is one of just a few suppliers of a critical component. When the post goes viral and leads to changes in the law. When the extra traffic light triggers a city-wide traffic jam. That's complexity. And understanding these interdependencies – turning data into knowledge about the vast networks that connect us – has been our mission for ten years. Built on one conviction: the most pressing challenges of our time cannot be understood by looking at their parts in isolation.

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟯 𝘁𝗼 𝟴𝟬. 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱.
What started in 2016 with three scientists is now an international research center:
→ 80 researchers from nearly 30 nations
→ 13 research topics
→ 11 member institutions & 70+ partner organizations
→ 100+ affiliated researchers worldwide

𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.
Over the past decade, among many other things, CSH researchers have traced criminal money flows through cryptocurrency networks, modeled national economies at the level of individual firms, reconstructed disease trajectories across entire lifetimes, and identified the conditions that have historically driven societies toward instability – across thousands of years of human history.

“Have we solved complexity today? No. Have we understood it better? Yes – and in ways that would have been hard to imagine ten years ago,” says CSH's co-founder and president Stefan Thurner. “Hypotheses can be tested, and models can be validated using real-world systems. The next step is no longer just about understanding – but about targeted intervention. It’s about modifying complex systems so that they evolve in the desired direction.”

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲.
We're marking the occasion with around 200 guests today, as well as with our anniversary publication "It's the Complexity, Stupid." And of course: with each other (👇 PS: this is us).

🔵 More on CSH's 10-year journey: https://csh.ac.at/news/10-years-of-complexity-science-hub/

10/06/2026

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?

Last week, our current Journalist in Residence 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝘁𝘁𝘀 joined a panel discussion at Institute of Science and Technology Austria - ISTA alongside fellow science journalists 𝗚𝗲𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗿𝗼𝘆 and 𝗔𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗞𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗲 (journalist in residence at ISTA) and 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗿 (journalist in residence at the IIASA) – moderated by Nadja Hahn.

The panel tackled some of the most pressing questions in science communication today: How do you compete with AI-generated content, shrinking attention spans, and well-funded anti-science movements – while keeping accuracy intact?

A few things that stuck with us: Write for people, not for your research colleagues, and meet them where they are. When simplifying, sacrifice precision, not accuracy. Communicate uncertainty honestly, because overselling science erodes trust in the long run. And don't underestimate the power of humanizing the researcher – mistakes, setbacks, and all.

Elise's three-word advice for science journalists navigating 2026 sums it up nicely: Vibes. Audience. Attention.

A sharp, timely conversation. And a reminder that high-quality, human-curated science storytelling isn't just nice to have.

Thanks to ISTA (special thanks to Andreas Rothe and Veronika Oleksyn) for hosting a genuinely thought-provoking evening.

📸 © Anna Stöcher | ISTA

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Elise Cutts is spending five months with us at the Complexity Science Hub as part of FRONTIERS, the ERC's science journalism initiative. Want to learn more? 👉 https://csh.ac.at/people/journalists-in-residence/

10/06/2026

Job alert! We're looking for a 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 to join our team at the Complexity Science Hub.

If you're passionate about keeping systems running smoothly — and want to do it in a place where your work directly supports cutting-edge research — we'd love to hear from you.

🕐 Part-time
📋 Permanent position
👀 Applications reviewed on a rolling basis

👉 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: https://csh.jobs.personio.com/job/2639353

Know someone who'd be a great fit? Feel free to pass it on.

03/06/2026

🚧 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀. Europe may seem relatively sheltered from climate change with fewer extreme events and strong adaptive capacities. But our economy doesn't exist in isolation.

In a study, CSH researcher Andrea Vismara, together with colleagues from the European Central Bank, traces how physical climate shocks travel through global supply chains — and what that means for Europe's GDP as well as economies worldwide.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱
They combined country- and sector-level input-output data (which track how goods and services are bought and sold) with a simulation model.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁
📈 GDP losses in the Eurozone could surpass 10% – a figure nearly 15 times greater than the direct climate shock expected for the region
🗺️ In the Eurozone, the countries most at risk include Mediterranean countries with high direct exposure to physical climate risks, as well as nations with extensive trade links, such as Germany and Luxembourg
🌎 Global GDP losses could reach up to 18% under the most adverse climate scenario

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝘀:
It shows how much GDP is at risk across global regions due to spillover effects through trade. Each column represents a single disaster type.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
Understanding where climate shocks enter the economic system — and how they amplify — is essential for assessing risks to the financial system. Climate change is a global challenge with economic consequences that don't respect borders.

🔗 Learn more: https://csh.ac.at/news/the-global-economic-ripple-effect-of-climate-change/

First published as a SUERF - The European Money & Finance Forum Policy Brief in 2024, the full paper is now out in Ecological Economics.

02/06/2026

𝗪𝗶𝗲𝗻, 𝗨𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘁, 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗴, 𝗟𝗼𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀 – vier Städte, vier völlig unterschiedliche Arten, sich fortzubewegen 🗺️ Unser neues 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝘇 für 🧑‍🏫 lädt Schüler:innen ein, genau das zu erkunden: Warum fahren Menschen in manchen Städten fast ausschließlich Auto – und in anderen kaum? Was sagen Bewegungsdaten über eine Stadt aus? Und wie sieht das eigentlich bei mir selbst aus?

Mithilfe einer interaktiven (basierend auf der Forschung von Rafael Prieto-Curiel und gestaltet von Datenvisualisierin Liuhuaying Yang) und einem zum Downloaden können Schüler:innen diese Fragen selbst erforschen – ganz ohne Vorwissen. (natürlich auch für alle geeignet, die die Schule bereits längst hinter sich gelassen haben, gerne rätseln und mehr über Mobilitätsverhalten herausfinden möchten 😉 ).

📥 𝗭𝘂𝗺 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱: direkt über CSH Goes School – https://csh.ac.at/teaching/wie-bewegen-sich-menschen-in-stadten-weltweit-fort/ (auch auf Plattformen für Unterrichtsmaterialien kostenlos zur Verfügung gestellt).

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𝗖𝗦𝗛 𝗚𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 ist eine Initiative des Complexity Science Hub (CSH), deren Ziel es ist, Kinder für Wissenschaft zu begeistern. Wir bringen Wissenschaft in den Unterricht – mit interaktiven, leicht verständlichen Materialien, die Neugier wecken und Spaß machen.

01/06/2026

On 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 9, we're opening the next chapter of our Art & Science program – 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲'𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 ( 👉 RSVP here: https://csh.ac.at/events/art-science-with-andreas-leikauf-mirta-galesic-how-it-started/).

🖼️ Artist 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗶𝗸𝗮𝘂𝗳 is moving in at CSH with works that sit at the intersection of cultural memory and quiet unease. Images of things that happened (but maybe shouldn't have). Blending motifs across decades, his work revisits industrial-cultural myths – touching on loneliness, revolt, and the strange persistence of the past.

The event is the Kick-off for Andreas Leikauf's exhibition "How it started", curated by Galerie Karoline Hilger-Bartosch.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? 🧠 That comes from complexity scientist Mirta Galesic, who co-leads the research group at CSH. She uses natural science methods to find answers for the fundamental questions of social science – exploring how we form opinions, solve problems together, and influence one another.

The conversation between the two – centered around questions like: how do we take in our environment, online and offline? How does it shape our thinking? And at what point does an encounter actually shift our opinions? – will be moderated by the fabulous Sonja Joechtl.

📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: June 9, 2026, 6 PM
📍 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: Complexity Science Hub (CSH), Metternichgasse 8, 1030 Vienna
🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://csh.ac.at/events/art-science-with-andreas-leikauf-mirta-galesic-how-it-started/ (entry free)

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗦𝗛 𝗔𝗿𝘁 & 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 brings together artists and scientists through exhibitions, concerts, and readings in the historic Palais Springer-Rothschild. It creates a dialogue between two ways of understanding the world – that are not so different after all.

30/05/2026

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