| CYBERNETICS | | | | article on governors. In the 1940s the study of |
| "Any portion of the material universe which we | | | | regulatory processes became a continuing research |
| choose to separate in thought from the rest of the | | | | effort. Two key articles were published in 1943 -- |
| universe for the purpose of considering and discussing | | | | "Behavior, Purpose and Teleology" by Arturo |
| the various changes which may occur within it under | | | | Rosenblueth, Norbert Wiener, and Julian Bigelow and |
| various conditions is called a system." -Willard Gibbs | | | | "A Logical Calculus of the Ideas Immanent in Nervous |
| A new emerging branch of science known as | | | | Activity" by Warren McCulloch and Walter Pitts. |
| cybernetics is going to hit the world now. It is more | | | | These articles were followed by a series of |
| than a science, art, philosophy or multidisciplinary | | | | conferences between 1944 and 1953 on Circular |
| subject, which is going to reign and rein the world. It is | | | | Causal and Feedback Mechanisms in Biological and |
| the reincarnation, unification and recreation of all good | | | | Social Systems, chaired by Warren McCulloch and |
| technologies, concepts and civilizations developed | | | | sponsored by the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation. The |
| throughout the ages since creation, which is going to | | | | Macy conferences, which were attended by Ross |
| reinforce all technologies, materials and forces | | | | Ashby, Gregory Bateson, Margaret Mead, Heinz Von |
| reinstating an ending world. The word cybernetics was | | | | Foerster, John von Neumann, and others, laid the |
| first used in the context of "the study of | | | | foundation for a new scientific field. |
| self-governance" by Plato in The Laws to signify the | | | | In the early 1940's John von Neumann, although better |
| governance of people. There are many definitions of | | | | known for his work in mathematics and computer |
| cybernetics and many individuals who have influenced | | | | science, did contribute a unique and unusual addition to |
| the definition and direction of cybernetics. Norbert | | | | the world of cybernetics: Von Neumann cellular |
| Wiener, a mathematician, engineer and social | | | | automata, and their logical follow up the Von Neumann |
| philosopher, coined the word "cybernetics" from the | | | | Universal Constructor. The result of these deceptively |
| Greek word meaning "steersman" or "the art of | | | | simple thought experiments was the concept of |
| steering". He defined it as the science of control and | | | | self-replication which cybernetics adopted as a core |
| communication in the animal and the machine. The | | | | concept. The concept that the same properties of |
| word "cybernetique" was also used in 1834 by the | | | | genetic reproduction applied to social memes, living |
| physicist Andre-Marie Ampere (1775-1836) to denote | | | | cells and even computer viruses is further proof of the |
| the sciences of government in his classification system | | | | somewhat surprising universality of cybernetic study. |
| of human knowledge. For philosopher Warren | | | | In 1948 Norbert Wiener, a conference participant, |
| McCulloch, cybernetics was an experimental | | | | published his book, Cybernetics, and the conferees |
| epistemology concerned with the communication within | | | | adopted this word as the name for the new field of |
| an observer and between the observer and his | | | | study. The book generated considerable interest and |
| environment. Stafford Beer, a management consultant, | | | | some anxiety. There were fears that a science of |
| defined cybernetics as the science of effective | | | | communication and control could be used for |
| organization. Anthropologist Gregory Bateson noted | | | | manipulative purposes by unscrupulous governments. |
| that whereas previous sciences dealt with matter and | | | | Wiener addressed these concerns in a subsequent |
| energy, the new science of cybernetics focuses on | | | | book, The Human Use of Human Beings. In the years |
| form and pattern. For educational theorist Gordon | | | | that followed, the name "cybernetics" was widely |
| Pask, cybernetics is the art of manipulating defensible | | | | adopted in Europe. However, its use in the United |
| metaphors, showing how they may be constructed | | | | States spread more slowly. Most research and |
| and what can be inferred as a result of their existence. | | | | education in the U.S. continued to be specialized by |
| According to Herbert Brun cybernetics is to cure all | | | | problem area and academic discipline. The amount of |
| temporary truth of eternal triteness. | | | | research conducted on the basic principles of |
| Cybernetics takes as its domain the design or | | | | cybernetics remained small relative to the amount of |
| discovery and application of principles of regulation and | | | | attention focused on applied problems. |
| communication. Cybernetics treats not things but ways | | | | In 1964 the American Society for Cybernetics was |
| of behaving. It does not ask "what is this thing?" but | | | | founded to facilitate the work of those with an interest |
| "what does it do?" and "what can it do?" Because | | | | in the field of cybernetics as a whole. Between 1964 |
| numerous systems in the living, social and technological | | | | and 1974 the American Society for Cybernetics held |
| world may be understood in this way, cybernetics cuts | | | | several conferences and began a journal, but during |
| across many traditional disciplinary boundaries. The | | | | the late 1970s the society was less active due to the |
| concepts which cyberneticians develop thus form a | | | | illness and death of some of its key officers. The |
| metadisciplinary language by which we may better | | | | 1980s saw a resurgence of interest due in part to a |
| understand and modify our world. | | | | desire by many people for more communication |
| Several traditions in cybernetics have existed side by | | | | across disciplines and in part to a feeling that the |
| side since its beginning. One is concerned with circular | | | | original questions that were posed were not receiving |
| causality, manifest in technological | | | | sufficient attention. The Society now holds |
| developments--notably in the design of computers and | | | | conferences, conducts seminars on the fundamentals |
| automata--and finds its intellectual expression in | | | | of cybernetics, and maintains contacts with |
| theories of computation, regulation and control. Another | | | | cyberneticians in other countries. |
| tradition, which emerged from human and social | | | | In order to provide an international forum for bringing |
| concerns, emphasizes epistemology--how we come | | | | together those actively involved in areas of interest on |
| to know-- and explores theories of self-reference to | | | | Systems, Man and Cybernetics, IEEE (Institute of |
| understand such phenomena as autonomy, identity, | | | | Electrical and Electronics Engineers) conducts |
| and purpose. Some cyberneticians seek to create a | | | | international conferences every year at various places |
| more humane world, while others seek merely to | | | | around the globe to report on up-to-the-minute |
| understand how people and their environment have | | | | innovations and developments, to summarize the |
| co-evolved. Some are interested in systems as we | | | | state-of-the-art, and to exchange ideas and advances |
| observe them, others in systems that do the | | | | in all aspects of systems science and engineering, |
| observing. Some seek to develop methods for | | | | human machine systems, and cybernetics. The 2009 |
| modeling the relationships among measurable variables. | | | | conference (SMC2009) was held on October 11-14, |
| Others aim to understand the dialogue that occurs | | | | 2009 at Hyatt Regency Riverwalk, San Antonio, |
| between models or theories and social systems. Early | | | | Texas, USA. |
| work sought to define and apply principles by which | | | | Some of the Journals associated with Cybernetics are |
| systems may be controlled. More recent work has | | | | Annals of Systems Research, IEEE Transactions on |
| attempted to understand how systems describe | | | | Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Biological Cybernetics, |
| themselves, control them, and organize them. Despite | | | | Communication and Cybernetics, Control and |
| its short history, cybernetics has developed a concern | | | | Cybernetics, Cybernetics and Systems Analysis, |
| with a wide range of processes involving people as | | | | Human Systems Management, Kybernetes, |
| active organizers, as sharing communicators, and as | | | | Cybernetic Medicine, Journal of Artificial Societies and |
| autonomous, responsible individuals. | | | | Social Simulation, Cybernetics and human knowing and |
| Many of the concepts included today in cybernetics | | | | Cybernetics and Systems. |
| had their origins long before the word "cybernetics" | | | | I do suggest the following words of Norbert Wiener |
| was associated with them. Self-regulating devices | | | | for any practicing cybernetician to understand: to live |
| were constructed as early as several hundred years | | | | efficiently is to live with appropriate information and to |
| B.C. In the late 1700s Watt's steam engine had a | | | | predict the future is to perform an operation on the |
| governor. In 1868 James Clerk Maxwell published an | | | | past. |