Overview
Cybernetics (from Greek kybernetes “steersman”) is the science of control and communication in animals and machines. It explains how systems steer themselves toward a goal.
Core Idea
The core idea is circular causality. Information flows from the system to the controller and back. This is the Feedback Loop.
Formal Definition
The scientific study of control and communication in the animal and the machine. (Norbert Wiener).
Intuition
- The Thermostat: The classic example.
- Goal: 70 degrees.
- Sensor: It’s 68.
- Effector: Turn on furnace.
- Feedback: It’s now 70. Turn off.
- Homeostasis: Your body is a cybernetic system. It sweats to cool down and shivers to warm up.
Examples
- Guided Missiles: They don’t fly straight; they constantly correct their path based on the target’s position (Negative Feedback).
- Management: A manager sets a goal, checks performance, and adjusts strategy.
Common Misconceptions
- Misconception: It’s about cyborgs.
- Correction: Sci-fi hijacked the word. It’s really about information flow.
- Misconception: It’s just engineering.
- Correction: It applies to biology, sociology (Second-Order Cybernetics), and family therapy.
Related Concepts
- Systems Thinking: Cybernetics is a subset of systems theory.
- Information Theory: The math of communication.
- Artificial Intelligence: Early AI was heavily influenced by cybernetics.
Applications
- Robotics: Control systems.
- Biology: Understanding the nervous system.
Criticism and Limitations
- Black Box: It focuses on input/output, often ignoring the internal mechanism.
Further Reading
- Cybernetics by Norbert Wiener
- An Introduction to Cybernetics by W. Ross Ashby