The universe-as-machine metaphor has served us well. It has made Mars rovers and brain surgery possible. But this mechanistic lens now greatly limits our problem-solving potential. Because it’s not how the universe actually works. The most complex challenges of our time are not linear, they are more like living systems. Think: cells, bodies, ant colonies, economies. And the science of complexity holds the key to better addressing them. Let's use a new metaphor to guide us forward in imagining and designing solutions for products, people and planet, far beyond our current limitations.