Subject: Feedback Loops

Posted by Levin, Jeffrey S. on 2/9/2006
In Reply To:Feedback Loops Posted by Fernando Mazzuli on 2/9/2006

Message:

My physical growth is caused by an intake of food, water, sunlight, oxygen. Although these inputs cause me to change physically over time (at this point out, not up), I do not appear to provide any noticeable and direct or indirect feedback to these sources of input. Therefore, I am tempted to deduce that change through time is not always caused by a feedback process, but I think it depends on where one draws the system's boundary? Identifying the system's effective boundary is always a tough problem for me. Maybe Professor Forrester's statement should be changed to say: "Everything that changes purposefully through time is controlled by feedback loops." There would have to be a purpose behind the change.

Sincerely,
Jeff Levin

Follow Ups:

Feedback Loops - David Lymburner 2/9/2006 
Feedback Loops - John Sterman 2/9/2006 
Feedback Loops - Bill Braun 2/9/2006 
Feedback Loops - Elane V. Scott 2/8/2006