Welcome to Cybernetics

It’s the study of communication and control from human to machine.

Example

1. Temperature Regulation
2. Traffic
3. High-tech features on cars
4. Eye and Ear enhancements.(Contacts, Hearing Aids)

Advantage

1. Improved quality of life
2. Can be used to understand for data gathering, like biological and sociological purposes
3. People mostly create technology with cybernetics for help or convenience.
4. Can be used for different reasons for people

Disadvantage

1. Can be expensive
2. Needs maintenance
3. Side effects can be severe or deadly
4. Negative outside influences can cause discord.
5. Lack of privacy
6. Lack of accessibility for people with low-incomes
7. Bad actors can use it to oppress others.

Today's Cybernetic

Norbert Wiener, Warren McCulloch and Jay Forrester were considered to be the pioneers of early cybernetics. Wiener first worked with engineer, Julian H. Bigelow to predict movements from planes. They discovered that machines had “diseases” as something can go wrong during testing. Wiener and Arturo Rosenblueth found out that machines and people can have the same “behavior”. As a result of that, they discovered that a closed loop for diagnosing problems called, the negative feedback loop, would work in maintaining balance. Cybernetics seemed to come together in a melting pot. The SAGE system was created in the 1950’s and was used for radar. It was to detect and prevent any attacks in the United States by other countries’ rockets.

Robots are considered machines. If they contain “brain cells, possibly even human neurons” (Warwick), therein lies a problem of classifying them as robot or human. This is where the term cyborg comes into play. People can have prosthetics who lost limbs due to various reasons It is possible that we can upload our brains into networks through implants. Throughout the years, cars have been adding features that assist drivers by doing things themselves. Features like lane assist, emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and even parking assist. In society, we are in progress of autonomous cars that drive themselves without people in control. It’s not perfect yet, but eventually it will be successful and maybe widespread.