I read that the day you posted it. It is one of those "head scratchers".
I don't think complexity is related to "advancing" or "aggressive"
BTW - I think you left out an important piece of complexity, interaction between individual pieces. A long linear complex thing where interaction is only localized would be less complex than a smaller circular (or helical or superhelical) unit with close interaction of all the pieces.
Here come the Borg!