Adaptation and control

Complex systems are usually self-healing, self-controlled so as to spontaneously regulate their activity to prevent destruction and to preserve their functionalities over an appropriate amount of time. This means that they should contain, by design, regulatory processes using sensors, both internal and external, to stay within operating range.

They can also adapt to changing conditions in order to find solutions to new problems (like in adaptative porous silica membranes or bacteria adapting to adverse environment).