In the temporal domain fractal organization can be related to phenomena like the perception of music. It is claimed that the features that make music interesting can be derived from a balance between surprise and Music that is too predictable is just as boring as a sequence of random tones. The scaling range for perception of sound and music reaches over a wide span. The sound of an (electronic) instrument is determined by its waveform i.e. variations in the sub- millisecond range. Phrases and themes within a piece of music cover the range of several seconds and the composer has to be innovative enough to make their organization not too predictable. Musical styles and fashions change over the time-span of months or years.
On the other side adaptation in complex systems occurs at multiple hierarchical levels. In an environment in which rapid changes are an advantage selection will prefer individuals which display exactly this feature. For instance in modern music, creating innovative sounds became an evolutionary fitness parameter: The determining feature of a successful new composition became its novelty, independent of any other criteria for quality. But eventually even "modern" music became old-fashioned and was followed by its "post-modern" successor. Similar meta-innovations could be observed in other areas of contemporary culture including modem science.