SCiO monthly events newsletter – November & December 2023

www.systemspractice.org/events

  SCiO UK

SCiO UK Virtual Open Meeting – November 2023

Mon 13 November 2023 18:30–21:00 GMT

Virtual Open Meeting: A series of presentations of general interest to Systems and Complexity in Organisation’s members and others.

Double-loop Learning in Complex Project Environments – Gregory Cupal

Discovering Organisational systems – helping leaders learn to see submerged patterns of co-creation and interdependence – Joan Lurie

All welcome,  FREE; Online event; English; Book now

SCiO UK Virtual Development Event – December 2023

Tue 12 December 2023 18:30–20:30 GMT

SCiO’s Development Event offer an opportunity to draw upon the collective expertise of SCiO members in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. By taking Development Events online, using the Zoom meeting platform, we aim to make them accessible to more SCiO members Development Events are both for members who are just starting out on a journey to explore Systems Thinking approaches, and for those who have many years of exploration and practice.

Members only; FREE; Online event; English; Book now

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  SCiO Nederland

SCIO-NL monthly meeting (live in Vianen and in Dutch)

Fri 10 November 2023 11:30–15:00 CET+1

SCIO-NL komt elke 2e vrijdag van de maand live bijeen in Vianen (Hagenweg 3c). Er staan geen vaste onderwerpen op de agenda (daarvoor organiseren we specifieke andere meetings), maar de ervaring leert dat er altijd wel een interessant gesprek op gang komt over een systemisch onderwerp.

Hagenweg 3c, Vianen, Netherlands; All welcome; FREE; Dutch Book now

SCIO-NL monthly meeting (live in Vianen and in Dutch)

Fri 8 December 2023 11:30–15:00 CET

SCIO-NL komt elke 2e vrijdag van de maand live bijeen in Vianen (Hagenweg 3c). Er staan geen vaste onderwerpen op de agenda (daarvoor organiseren we specifieke andere meetings), maar de ervaring leert dat er altijd wel een interessant gesprek op gang komt over een systemisch onderwerp

Hagenweg 3c, Vianen, Netherlands; All welcome; FREE; Dutch Book now

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  SCiO Belgium

Open lezing Kathleen Van de Werf: Case – de sustainability aanpak van Sweco

Tue 14 November 2023 18:00–20:00 CET

Als drijvende kracht achter het Sustainability Program binnen Sweco heeft Kathleen Van de Werf een uniek coaching weefsel opgezet. Het is erop gericht om de verschillende projecten binnen Sweco te koppelen aan een meer omvattende ambitie: Transforming Society Together. Sweco is Europa’s grootste ingenieurs- en advies- en ontwerpbureau dat vorm geeft aan de duurzame gemeenschappen en steden van de toekomst. Samen met haar klanten en de collectieve kennis van hun 18.000 ingenieurs, ontwerpers en andere specialisten co-creëren ze oplossingen om verstedelijking aan te pakken, om de kracht van dig… Read more

All welcome; FREE; Online event; Dutch Book now

VSM deep dive sessie 2 – De kunst van het ontwerpen van functies en eenheden – de “linkervleugel” van organisaties

Tue 12 December 2023 18:00–20:00 CET

Het Viable Systems Model (VSM) biedt een raamwerk voor het ontwikkelen van flexibele en aanpasbare organisaties. Alhoewel het in de jaren zeventig en tachtig van de twintigste eeuw is ontwikkeld door Stafford Beer, en intussen internationaal veelvuldig gebruikt wordt als hulpmiddel voor het begrijpen en herontwerpen van organisaties, is het in België weinig bekend. Als SCiO-België besloten we daarom om in het werkingsjaar 2021-22 en in het werkingsjaar 2022-23 er Deep Dive sessies aan te besteden. De eerste keer deden we dit aan de hand van een lezing van tekstfragmenten uit het werk van Staf… Read more

Kon. Astridlaan 144,  2800 Mechelen, Belgium; Members only; FREE; Dutch Book now

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   SCiO DACH (Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz)

Bionisches Management und Autopoiesis

Thu 23 November 2023 18:00–20:00 CET

Clemens Dachs hat lange Erfahrung im Design großer Organisationen nach dem Vorbild von Lebewesen. Er übersetzt dabei die Systemdynamik und -architektur von Lebewesen in die Welt des modernen Managements. Das Leben ist der absolute Best-of-Best-Benchmark für Organisationen. Es ist die Zeit gekommen, ihre Erfolgsprinzipien zu verstehen und zu nutzen. Autopoiesis beschreibt die Mechanismen des Selbstbaus von Zellen, die diesem Erfolg zu Grund liegen, und übersetzt sie in die Welt des Business.

Members + Guests; kostenlos; Online event; German Book now

Kybernetik-Stammtisch – Jahresabschluss – offene Beiträge   

Thu 14 December 2023 18:00–19:00 CET

Online-Jahresabschlussfeier für alle Mitglieder. Es besteht die Möglichkeit kurz zusammengefasste Ergebnisse der eigenen Forschung/Arbeit im Bereich Systems Practice des vergangenen Jahres den übrigen Mitgliedern vorzustellen.

Members + Guests; kostenlos; Online event; German Book now

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  SCiO Espana

Pensamiento Sistémico en el diseño estratégico (click for full details)

SCiO España presenta 3 sesiones sobre la aplicación del “Pensamiento Sistémico en el diseño estrategico”. La sesiones están basadas en la experiencia de Ideas Infinitas acompañando a organizaciones públicas, privadas y del Tercer Sector en el diseño de estrategias para la mejora de politicas públicas, la evolución de modelos de negocio, la mejora de efectividad de servicios, la evolución del modelo operativo, la transformación organizacional.

1ª Sesión. Tue 7 November 2023 19:00–20:30 CET

La primera sesión hablará sobre QUÉ QUEREMOS HACER: En esta primera sesión exploraremos cómo la organización percibe el entorno y cómo identifica las posibles amenazas futuras para su viabilidad. Una vez identificadas, cómo se elabora la visión del estado deseado hacia el que se quiere caminar.

2ª sesión. Tue 14 November 2023 19:00–20:30 CET

La segunda sesión hablará sobre QUÉ PODEMOS HACER: Esta segunda sesión se centrará en explorar el sistema al que la organización pertenece para comprender cuáles son las fuerzas que en él operan y que limitan la capacidad de la organización para alcanzar el estado deseado. A partir de aquí, exploraremos cuáles son las capacidades, los recursos y las acciones necesarias para progresar hacia los objetivos establecidos.

3ª Sesión. Tue 21 November 2023 19:00–20:30 CET

Finalmente, la tercera sesión hablará sobre QUÉ PODEMOS APRENDER: Esta tercera y última sesión se centrará en definir los indicadores adecuado para verificar que los cambios estructurales que hemos implementado se consolidan, así como que las soluciones temporales tienen el efecto adecuado. Finalmente, revisaremos las ideas y modelos mentales iniciales para actualizarlos y hacerlos evolucionar.

All welcome; Free para miembros SCiO. 75€ no miembros (tres sesiones incluidas); Online event; Spanish

Book each session here

[‘Rev’ is one of the most interesting voices on Twitter, and states something very clearly and precisely here]

The classical Daoists were known for turning their attention to nature. Xunzi specifically condemns Zhuangzi for this.

(1) St. Rev. Dr. Rev ⏭️☯️🏴😻 on X: “This is a huge digression, but I want to expand something that I usually only hint at, which I think is very important. So bear with me for a minute. The classical Daoists were known for turning their attention to nature. Xunzi specifically condemns Zhuangzi for this.” / X

This is a huge digression, but I want to expand something that I usually only hint at, which I think is very important. So bear with me for a minute.

The classical Daoists were known for turning their attention to nature. Xunzi specifically condemns Zhuangzi for this. https://t.co/14QyQWAVft

— St. Rev. Dr. Rev ⏭️☯️🏴😻 (@St_Rev) October 31, 2023

Key parts of the tweet thread for the record:

The classical Daoists were known for turning their attention to nature. Xunzi specifically condemns Zhuangzi for this. But the word ‘nature’ is connotatively misleading, particularly for modern westerners. If we translate it instead as ‘reality’, we can see early Daoism as containing a particularly relentless focus on empiricism.

“Empty your mind and turn to nature” sounds like hippie bullshit. Reframe it as ‘discard your preconceived model and just fucking pay attention to what’s going on without imposing what you think is happening’, and it’s something else entirely.

…

The point is, reality never stops spinning away from our beliefs about it. It’s a lesson that one has to constantly re-learn. It’s hard to hold onto it, it’s a lot of work to keep breaking out of one’s frame.

Reality doesn’t care. It will keep spinning away from you, forever. (There’s a technical sense in which this can be made somewhat precise: living systems should be expected to periodically move near fixed points with positive lyapunov exponents along undetected variables)

(Translated: as long as you’re alive, you should expect to be periodically surprised by blowups from directions you hadn’t noticed before — because a positive lyapunov exponent looks like a negative one in the rear-view mirror)

So if you want a long life, you must ‘attune yourself to nature’, in the practical sense of ‘fucking pay attention and don’t let yourself fall into the trap of imposing your predictions onto the data’

This may sound trite, but it’s really fucking hard. It is. Not forcibly interposing your beliefs between your eyes and the rest of the world is a constant struggle, but when you stop doing it, you start to die.

Reality doesn’t care one way or the other. “Heaven and Earth are not humane. They regard all things as straw dogs.” Reality will always spin away from you. That’s just what it does. Act accordingly.

Rev

---

Lyapunov Exponent

“In mathematics, the Lyapunov exponent or Lyapunov characteristic exponent of a dynamical system is a quantity that characterizes the rate of separation of infinitesimally close trajectories.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyapunov_exponent

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/lyapunov-exponent

And an Arxiv: Important Notes on Lyapunov Exponents – Keying Guan

Abstract: It is shown that the famous Lyapunov exponents cannot be used as the numerical characteristic for distinguishing different kinds of attractors, such as the equilibrium point、 the limit closed curve、the stable torus and the strange attractor.

Click to access 1401.3315.pdf

Requires you to join the meetup (also free)

Organizational Cybernetics framework for Diagnosing and Designing organizations

Organizational Cybernetics framework for Diagnosing and Designing organizations, Thu, Nov 16, 2023, 6:00 PM | Meetup

https://www.meetup.com/systems-at-play/events/296978032/

Organizational Cybernetics framework for Diagnosing and Designing organizations

Thursday, November 16, 2023, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

Online event

RSVP now

Details: Hi Systems Thinkers, This month we are honoured and excited to hear from Jose Perez Rios, full professor of Business Organization (University of Valladolid, Spain), an Academician of “International Academy for Systems and Cybernetics Sciences (IASCYS)” and a member or the Board of Directors of the “World Organization of Systems and Cybernetics …

[Umm, I dunno, what do you think? ‘Meta-Ockham 1’ seems sensible but (2) seems to move the focus of the ‘science’ potentially from explanation to description? And in “discovering and encoding regularities in irreducibly high dimensional phenomena”, the ‘encoding’ slips in there rather subtly in a way which I think deserves more conversation? Certainly interesting anyway]

Front. Complex Syst., 18 October 2023
Sec. Complex Systems Theory
Volume 1 – 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fcpxs.2023.1235202

Insights In Complex Systems Theory

David C. Krakauer*

• Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, United States

Complexity science and machine learning are two complementary approaches to discovering and encoding regularities in irreducibly high dimensional phenomena. Whereas complexity science represents a coarse-grained paradigm of understanding, machine learning is a fine-grained paradigm of prediction. Both approaches seek to solve the “Wigner-Reversal” or the unreasonable ineffectiveness of mathematics in the adaptive domain where broken symmetries and broken ergodicity dominate. In order to integrate these paradigms I introduce the idea of “Meta-Ockham” which 1) moves minimality from the description of a model for a phenomenon to a description of a process for generating a model and 2) describes low dimensional features–schema–in these models. Reinforcement learning and natural selection are both parsimonious in this revised sense of minimal processes that parameterize arbitrarily high-dimensional inductive models containing latent, low-dimensional, regularities. I describe these models as “super-Humean” and discuss the scientic value of analyzing their latent dimensions as encoding functional schema.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcpxs.2023.1235202/full

NERCCS 2024: Seventh Northeast Regional Conference on Complex Systems

A post from Rev on Twitter reminded me this hasn’t been here explicitly

Catastrophe theory – Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catastrophe_theory

[I make zero representation concerning which, if any of these, are any good and which, if any, are game-playing, badly transliterated, literature review based messes]

Systems, Volume 11, Issue 10 (October 2023) – 41 articles

Systems | October 2023 – Browse Articles

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-8954/11/10?utm_campaign=releaseIssue_systemsutm_medium=emailutm_source=releaseissueutm_term=issuelink

Li Keqiang and cybernetics, a short thread:1/ During the post-Mao era there was a renewed interest in cybernetics which, alongside von Bertalanffy’s systems theory and Shannon’s information theory, was known as the “(old) 3 theories” (老三论).

(1) Tianyu Fang on X: “Li Keqiang and cybernetics, a short thread: 1/ During the post-Mao era there was a renewed interest in cybernetics which, alongside von Bertalanffy’s systems theory and Shannon’s information theory, was known as the “(old) 3 theories” (老三论). https://t.co/wWM90QHwCk” / X

Li Keqiang and cybernetics, a short thread:

1/ During the post-Mao era there was a renewed interest in cybernetics which, alongside von Bertalanffy's systems theory and Shannon's information theory, was known as the "(old) 3 theories" (老三论). pic.twitter.com/wWM90QHwCk

— Tianyu Fang (@tianyuf) October 29, 2023

Biological Holism: A New Paradigm? — LessWrong

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/QpByFkccNFNCakWeN/biological-holism-a-new-paradigm

About:

About/Contact

Blogs at:

Best of

Bob Williams

Critical Systems Heuristics – An IntroductionBob Williams

Critical Systems Heuristics – An Introduction – YouTube

Health Research Policy and Systems volume

The application of systems thinking in health: why use systems thinking?David H Peters Health Research Policy and Systems volume

The application of systems thinking in health: why use systems thinking? | Health Research Policy and Systems | Full Text

https://health-policy-systems.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1478-4505-12-51

Recording of the talk at Fluidity Forum

OCT 26, 2023

Rationality and Relevance Realization: Metarationality and Generative RationalityRecording of the talk at Fluidity ForumOCT 26, 2023

Rationality and Relevance Realization: Metarationality and Generative Rationality

https://cognitivescience.substack.com/p/rationality-and-relevance-realization

Ruffo Caselli’s “Cybernetic Existentialism” Art Collection Based on Artificial Intelligence and Technology is Now on Display at a Museum in Uraj, RussiaPRESS RELEASEPublished October 25, 2023GetNews

Ruffo Caselli’s “Cybernetic Existentialism” Art Collection Based on Artificial Intelligence and Technology is Now on Display at a Museum in Uraj, Russia

https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/news/getnews/ruffo-caselli-s-cybernetic-existentialism-art-collection-based-on-artificial-intelligence-and-technology-is-now-on-display-at-a-museum-in-uraj-russia

cyberneticexistentialism.com

The center for the multidisciplinary study of cybernetic existentialismThe ArtistItalian artist Ruffo Caselli paints canvasses representing elegant robots dotted with little squares, sensors and microchips. He is one of the world’s leading interpreters of the changes that have taken place in our lifetime.Since the late 1950s, he has linked his themes to contemporary technology and a mutant humanity searching for answers in a technological universe. From transistors to semiconductors and barcodes Caselli paints with oil colors on canvasses where even the space between people is populated by mysterious, omnipotent chips.The idea behind the art of Ruffo Caselli is one of a progressive mutation of our way of thinking that includes all aspects of our existence, personal relations, communication, work and play as they are intertwined with technology.MORE ABOUT HIMThe CenterThe Center for the Multidisciplinary Study of Cybernetic Existentialism is a presentation platform for TECHNOLOGY IN ART.Carmen Gallo founded the Center in Manhattan in early eighties as a platform to present Art, Philosophy, Technologies and Trends of the Day in Technology.Recently the Center embarked on its most ambitious and visionary journey to date as it presented: “Fifty Years of Robotics in Art”, oil paintings by Ruffo Caselli, the father of Cybernetic Existentialism.The very uniqueness of this exhibit documents an unprecedented interpretation of a journey through the development of robotics in technologies used today.

Cybernetic Existentialism

https://www.cyberneticexistentialism.com/home.html

Bext link is probably their facebook page though they also have www.wosc.org

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/WOSC.org

About this book

This introduction to the world of cybernetics provides the basics and discusses the most important thought leaders, models as well as theories. Practical examples from the fields of biology, ecology, technology, society, and politics are used to illustrate the theoretical material. Questions at the end of the chapters stimulate reflection, and the author does not owe the answers. A central theme in all cybernetic considerations and a guiding theme of the book are information exchange and communication.

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Table of Contents

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction and Learning Objectives

Abstract

This textbook on “Cybernetic Worlds” could also be titled: “The Power of Negative Feedback”. Negative feedback is a process taking place between at least two subjects or objects that links a reinforcing and a balancing effect.

E. W. Udo KüppersShow less

Fundamentals

Chapter 2. A Special Look at the Origin and Mindset of Cybernetics

Abstract

Chapter 2 introduces the topic of circular thinking, which is inherent in cybernetics, with a special look at the origin and way of thinking of cybernetics. Starting with the central question “What cybernetics is and what cybernetics is not”, with related practical examples, you will be confronted with numerous definitions of cybernetics, all derived from the respective fields of application of cybernetics. Finally, special attention is given to “Systemic and Cybernetic Thinking” in six circular steps.

E. W. Udo KüppersShow lessChapter 3. Basic Concepts and Language of Cybernetics

Abstract

In Chap. “Basic Concepts and Language of Cybernetics”, various basic concepts of cybernetics are discussed in the necessary detail, which contribute to a fundamental understanding of complex cybernetic relationships. Graphic representations with practical process examples of cybernetic applications complement the texts and familiarise the reader with the various social, technical and economic areas that are interspersed with cybernetic systems of the most diverse kinds.

E. W. Udo KüppersShow less

Cyberneticians and Cybernetic Models

Frontmatter

Chapter 4. Cybernetics and its Representatives

Abstract

This chapter introduces a number of representatives of cybernetics who have had a decisive influence on the development of this interdisciplinary discipline. The one who gave the greatest impetus to cybernetics as a scientific branch and broad application was undoubtedly Norbert Wiener, which is why we begin with him.

The number of influential people from a wide range of disciplines who have each made their contribution to cybernetics is too large to be assembled here in full. On the internet alone, 56 people are mentioned, of whom some influential minds will be mentioned in due course (cf. https://​de.​wikipedia.​org/​wiki/​Liste_​bekannter_​Kybernetiker. Accessed 25.01.2018).

E. W. Udo KüppersShow lessChapter 5. Cybernetic Models and Orders

Abstract

Natural, social and technical-economic systems are interspersed with cybernetic principles or features as discussed in detail in chapter “Basic concepts and language of cybernetics”.

They are—in the case of natural systems per se—open systems to the environment with which the three basic flows of our life process, energy, matter and information, are exchanged.

The following three cybernetic systems sections “Cybernetics of Mechanical Systems”, “Cybernetics of Natural Systems” and “Cybernetics of Natural Systems” are intended to provide a clear introduction to their organisation with associated principles, whereby the content is largely based on Probst (1987, pp. 46–52 Self-organisation. Order processes in social systems from a holistic perspective. Parey, Berlin/Hamburg) and drawing on recent additions to thematic complexes, which took place in the context of a conference “Exploring Cybernetics—Cybernetics in Interdisciplinary Discourse” in 2015 (Jeschke et al. 2015 Exploring Cybernetics. Cybernetics in interdisciplinary discourse. Springer, Wiesbaden).

Finally, the concluding sections “1st order cybernetics” and “2nd order cybernetics” describe two interconnected well-known order characteristics of cybernetic systems.Due to their systemic character, the presented cybernetic models interpret three central pillars of sustainable development: ecology, social affairs and economy (technology/economy), as they were elaborated by the Brundtland Commission in 1987 and on the basis of which the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development took place in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.

E. W. Udo KüppersShow less

Cybernetic Theories and Practical Examples

Frontmatter

Chapter 6. Cybernetics and Theories

Abstract

With this chapter “Cybernetics and Theories” we enter a room full of theories whose common reference is cybernetics. However, it is not the aim and purpose to describe all the listed theories and even more extensively, which would fill books that have already been written on the respective topics of the sub-chapters. Therefore, we will put concise statements on the individual theories in the foreground of this chapter and start with systems theory.

E. W. Udo KüppersShow lessChapter 7. Cybernetic Systems in Practice

Abstract

In the concluding chap. “Cybernetic Systems in Practice” we will get to know cybernetic systems from different areas of practice. We will focus on four dominant environmental areas that affect us all—nature, technology, the economy and society. These will be concretised through a wide variety of “application scenarios”, from control circuits of the human organism and the forest ecosystem to control mechanisms of various technical apparatuses and tools, economic models and management tools, to models in sociology/psychology, “cybernetic governance” or even in the field of the military. A brief overview of the cybernetic “status quo” of these four environmental areas is given as an introduction.

E. W. Udo KüppersShow lessChapter 8. Control Questions (Q N.N) With Sample Answers (A N.N) For Chapters 2 to 7

Abstract

Chapter 2 introduces the topic of circular thinking, which is inherent in cybernetics, with a special look at the origin and way of thinking of cybernetics. Starting with the central question “What cybernetics is and what cybernetics is not”, with related practical examples, you will be confronted with numerous definitions of cybernetics, all derived from the respective fields of application of cybernetics. Finally, special attention is given to “Systemic and Cybernetic Thinking” in six circular steps.

E. W. Udo Küppers

A Transdisciplinary Introduction to the World of Cybernetics | springerprofessional.de

https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/a-transdisciplinary-introduction-to-the-world-of-cybernetics/26219126