ABSTRACT
In biology, mechanistic interpretations of Darwinian theory saw the evolution of life on earth as a calm and stately development from ‘lower’ life forms to the highest life form, human beings. Biological systems remain relatively stable for long periods of time and then tend to undergo fast radical change. Building on the idea of punctuated equilibrium are the concepts of frozen accidents and gateway events. Gateway events are those that open up a whole new range of unpredictable possibilities for complex systems. Frozen accidents abound in our daily lives. The chance meeting that leads to a new life course, or the unfortunate event that marks a human tragedy. Frozen accidents are best understood as the chance events of the past that have a significant impact on the future. Over time, as frozen accidents accumulate, general regularities begin to occur that set the boundaries for future developments.
