Understanding emerging patterns and dynamics through the lenses of the cyber-physical universe

The complex interaction among contemporary techno- and socio-economic processes has set the stage for the emergence of a cyber-physical universe, the novel landscape in which agents behave and interact, and which is centered on the fundamental role played by information and computation at all levels. In this paper, we weave into a single analysis the different threads that lead to (and characterize) the cyber-physical universe and outline a map of its building blocks and the complex dynamics at work in the new environment. The resulting description is used to assess how decision-making processes should evolve in order to be able to address the opportunities and challenges of the current era of deep and extended changes. The analysis offers an encompassing interpretative grid to understand and unpack patterns in the contemporary socio-technical systems that experience a fundamental informational turn; this can inform new research trajectories and help open up new areas for scientific inquiry.