Subject: Scratch and System Dynamics

Posted by Sang-Don Lee on 12/10/2010
In Reply To:Scratch and System Dynamics Posted by George Richardson on 12/10/2010

Message:

Dr. George P. Richardson wrote:

>>But it is very important to *not* characterize system dynamics as computer programming. There's a big, >>important difference between a "program" and a "model."

I have used MATLAB which is "THE" programming language for simulating
dynamic system such as feedback control system, etc, and I see big
difference between SD and programming. A good example would be a comparison
by simply comparing the prey-predatory model constructed by MATLAB (even using
SIMULINK) and SD (stock and flow), side-by-side.

>>The purpose of system dynamics is helping people think about their world(s) by defining problems dynamically, >>thinking hard about system boundaries (temporal and conceptual), and thinking endogenously in stocks-and-flows >>and feedback loops

I read the following article by Ullman a few years ago, and the
article still resonate in my mind.

"The dumbing-down of programming" Written by Ms. Ellen Ullman in 1998.
(http://www.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/05/13feature.html.)

Quotes:
"No one left who understand.......Code and forget; code and forget:
programming as a collective exercise in incremental forgetting.

Sincerely.

Sang-Don Lee