[Another discovery of another little planetary system in the universe of systems |complexity|cybernetics – this is ‘the system’ primarily of matching the right balanced of general/early/specialist interventions in speech and language therapy, though it does have a role for chidlren and families too]
WHAT IS THE BALANCED SYSTEM®?
The Balanced System® is a whole system strategic approach to supporting children and people with a whole range of needs, that has primarily come out of work in the area of speech, language and communication.
Marie Gascoigne has been developing the Balanced System® framework for over 15 years. It is used by a whole range of stakeholders, including commissioners from all disciplines and providers, particularly of therapy services.
As the diagram shows, it is a see-saw model with a set of blocks that provide the base above which balanced support is delivered.
Until I read this Hal Borland passage a few days ago I never realized/noticed that blossoming plants melt the snow, and it’s because that act generates a bunch of heat
Until I read this Hal Borland passage a few days ago I never realized/noticed that blossoming plants melt the snow, and it’s because that act generates a bunch of heat pic.twitter.com/zrZ7K4GfdX
This article is part of the series on Autonomy and Cohesion. It is the second part of the basic overview of the balance. If you haven’t read the previous part, I’d recommend doing so before reading further.
Cohesion Forces and ToolsIVO VELITCHKOVFEB 15, 202411ShareThis article is part of the series on Autonomy and Cohesion. It is the second part of the basic overview of the balance. If you haven’t read the previous part, I’d recommend doing so before reading further.
According to the Gaia hypothesis, which was proposed by the scientists Lovelock and Margulis in the 1970s, our planet should have been getting progressively warmer for millions of years, while our oceans should have been progressively more acidic as well. The fact that this hasn’t happened suggests a planet-wide complex system that is self-regulating, with planetary life and geological processes working together to stabilize planetary geology and climate. Despite its importance, this idea could not be previously tested due to its planetary scale.
In a recent paper, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, SFI External Professor Ricard Solé (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) and collaborators propose an experimental system that will test, on a small scale, the dynamics that regulate planetary processes. Using synthetic biology, they will test two engineered micro-organisms in a self-contained system to see if they can achieve a stable equilibrium.
This proposed setup is inspired by recent research in fermentation, which has typically required finely-tuned outside control, to achieve stable, regulated conditions, including a stable pH level. “There’s been recent work in trying to see if you can engineer microorganisms for fermentation so that they can self-regulate,” Solé says. “That was the key inspiration.” This experimental setup, which Solé and several of his students developed during a visit to SFI, has the potential to answer long-standing questions in the field about planetary-wide regulatory systems.
In this experimental setup, one strain will detect if the environment is becoming too acidic, and counteract the increasing acidity, while the other strain will detect if the environment is becoming too basic, and act to counteract this decreasing acidity. “Because these strains act on the environment, and the environment affects them, this creates a closed causal loop,” Solé said. “The idea is to show that under very broad conditions, they will stabilize to a constant pH level, as predicted by the original theory.”
Read the paper “A synthetic microbial Daisyworld: planetary regulation in the test tube” in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface (February 7, 2024) by Victor Maull, Jordi Pla Mauri, Nuria Conde Pueyo, and Ricard Solé. DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0585
System and portfolio approaches toolkitThis is an evolving repository of practical portfolio-design toolkits that emerged from our own experience working with governments and other partners in over 45 countries. We hope that these might help as you get started on your journey of discovering new approaches and perspectives. We’re always keen to connect and learn how these resources may be landing in other organisations and context, so do get in touch to let us know about your experience.
[Really interesting on relationship between decision-making, ‘managerial discretion’, law, symbolic/mythology responses, public, professional, and trade union perspectives, and how these evolve together]
In this episode, we explore two articles from Lauren Edelman, “Legal Ambiguity and Symbolic Structures: Organizational Mediation of Civil Rights Law” from 1992 and “The Endogeneity of Legal Regulation: Grievance Procedures as Rational Myth” from 1999. These studies showed a wide variety of organizational responses to the enactment of civil rights legislation, but that certain responses were legitimated due to their success in symbolically showing effort in addressing discrimination and thus institutionalized across other organizations.
One of many ways I annoy people is saying that *arguing* about dynamical vs computational cognition, or mechanism vs function, or internalism vs 4e stuff… is *a stupid waste of time*
One of many ways I annoy people is saying that *arguing* about dynamical vs computational cognition, or mechanism vs function, or internalism vs 4e stuff… is *a stupid waste of time*
Demystifying the Principle of Subsidiarity: Balancing Autonomy with Cohesion in OrganizationsMark LambertzUnderstand. Enable. Create Value.3 articles FollowingFebruary 2, 2024
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