Systems (10)

Question 1

What is a system?

Answer 1

= where object A and Object B apply flows of equal magnitude towards each other, resulting in a bidirectional flow of inputs & outputs.

Question 2

Eg of a system?

Answer 2

Water cycle.

Question 3

What is a flux?

Answer 3

= the movement of “material” between stocks.

Question 4

What are stocks?

Answer 4

=

Question 5

Eg of fluxes from the Water cycle?

Answer 5

The blue arrows that represent the flow/movement of water.

Question 6

Stocks AKA?

Answer 6

Pools.

Question 7

In the Water cycle, what are the stocks? (3)

Answer 7

• Atmosphere
= Rainfall.

• Terrestrial environment
= Plants & Soil.

• Aquatic systems
= Fresh water & Marine.

Question 8

What are the processes associated with the Water cycle? (5)

Answer 8

• Percolation.
• Precipitation.
• Transpiration.
• Evaporation.
• Condensation.

Question 9

What differences do make? (4)

Answer 9

● Causality becomes a problem.
● Add a bit of complexity.
● Cause/portray indeterminism.
● Emergent properties.

Question 10

How do systems add a bit of complexity?

Answer 10

Through wicked problems.

Question 11

Wicked problem?

Answer 11

= no apparent solution that everybody can benefit from.

Question 12

What do we mean by systems having emergent properties?

Answer 12

We mean that it is impossible to predict how the system behaves just from the patlrts of the systems instead, the parts need to work together & not individually.

Question 13

Negative feedback features? (2)

Answer 13

• Stabilizing/ Stable relationship.
• Good thing (unless you’re stuck in a bad place).

Question 14

Why is the negative feedback called “negative”?

Answer 14

Because (+) + (-) = (-).

Question 15

Positive feedback features? (3)

Answer 15

• Destabilizing (vicious cycles).
• Not automatically “runaway”.
• Bad thing.

Question 16

Rule of signs use?

Answer 16

To find the overall sign/feedback of a multi-step feedback loop.

Question 17

Properties of a systems? (5)

Answer 17

• Interacting parts.
• Fredback loops.
• Most are complex.
• Unintended consequences.
• Emergent properties.

Question 18

Eg of system properties?

Answer 18

Amazon drought-fire feedback.

Question 19

Lay out outer loop of Amazon drought-fire feedback? (5)

Answer 19

More savannas/Less forests (no trees)
|
Increased CO2
|
Higher temperatures
|
More fire.
|
Process repeats (Threshold effect).

Question 20

Lay out inner loop of Amazon drought-fire feedback? (4)

Answer 20

More savannas/Less forests (no trees)
|
Less rain
|
More fire
|
Process happens again (Threshold effect).

Question 21

Tipping point?

Answer 21

= level of change in a system’s properties beyond which a system reorganizes, often abruptly, & persists in this condition even if the drivers of the change mitigated.

Question 22

What do tipping points often involve?

Answer 22

A switch from a net negative feedback to a net positive feedback.

Question 23

Eg of tipping point in SA?

Answer 23

Eskom + Load-shedding + Stages 6,7,8…

Question 24

Explain the eg of tipping point in SA?

Answer 24

Where coal ran out/inadequate supply of coal. Even though tons of coal were provided to mitigate the changes it had caused (Load-shedding), it is still difficult for Eskom to go back to the previous state.

Question 25

How can you have a system with 2 different regimes/states?

Answer 25

The system can have 2 different states and changing states by being bumped out of the old one.

Question 26

Why are regime shifts dangerous?

Answer 26

Regime shifts are dangerous as once you change into another regime you can’t go back (it is irreversible).

Question 27

What are complex loops?

Answer 27

= loops where the outcome depends on the balance of the many loops, which often means that there are many possible outcomes.

Question 28

Lessons from systems? (5)

Answer 28

● Unintended consequences & unforeseen outcomes
= common.

● Almost all moderately complex systems
= have many thresholds & possible states.

● Avoiding bad outcomes
= hard to reverse.
= better strategy than finding a very best solution.

● Narrow focus on efficiency
= erodes resilience.

● Enlarge scope
= to avoid getting stuck in local traps.

Question 29

Give an eg of a complex system using your knowledge from this course?