Solving the Soccer Problem

Niclas Kaiser, clinical psychologist and associate professor in psychology at Umeå University, department of Psychology, presents an open problem: The Soccer Game Metaphor, where two systems become one.

Imagine a game of soccer, with eleven players in each team.  Each player shares traits with others, but with different functions and abilities (defense, goal, forward) that together are good for the game.  When the game starts, suddenly players in team A relate to players in team B. The players immediately know “the game is on”, an on/off-category, distinct from other activities as “pre game, within team warm up”. Systemically, it is when two systems become one. With data on the energy level of each player, can you identify if it is one system or two?

This problem is on the topic of novel research on the ultrasocial human. Social neuroscience is on the verge to leave the dead end of “inter-brain synchronicity”, “specific brain regions” and “brain studied in isolation” in favor of more valid models of dynamic systems and whole brain interwovenness. We have the theory and the data, but will novel mathematics and AI be able to deliver?