Are there any books on theory of processes ?
Asked by
inunsure (
423
)
March 17th, 2012
This is very hard to explain as it’s pretty vague in my head.
The problems in wanting to come to an end result with flawed ideas about the processes it has to go through.
One example could be, trying to program a robot to catch a ball making it’s reflexes faster, faster cpu, programming it well but when the ball is weighted strangely so it has a completely different trajectory so they would have to program the robot again so it could catch it. Unlike a human that takes different processes so it can learn to catch this new ball.
Maybe examples of when governments want something like lower teen pregnancy but the policy to counter that doesn’t lead to lower teen pregnancy
anything about processes, how we think about them, etc
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
6 Answers
I have a understanding about what I mean but I’m struggling to explain it so if you don’t understand what I mean try asking me so I maybe able to help
Science has traditionally been reductionistic, meaning that it looked at the smallest pieces in trying to explain larger things. Recently there has been a trend toward holistic thinking. Chaos, complexity and networks are all recent theories that take a more top down point of view. Macroeconomics, ecology and sociology are relatively new sciences that also take a broader perspective. I highly recommend the book Freakonomics to show things from the point of view of economics. Let me give an example of the type of things the book covers. There was a daycare center that was upset that many of the mothers arrived late to pick up their children. To try to fix the problem, the daycare center would ask that a small fine be paid if the mothers arrived late. The result was greater tardiness. Apparently the small payment erased any anxiety that the mothers may have previously felt when arriving late.
If you like metaphysics, you might try Process and Reality, by Alfred North Whitehead.
I just read a book called Sofie’s World. It is basically a history of philosophy told as part of a story. It is excellent and may help you here because it covers the evolution of philosophy and discusses how and why people think as they do. What you are asking seems to say “how do we process a problem and develop solutions.
Much of my personal life is doing just that. I trouble-shoot systems and sometimes train others in ways to think about a problem and develop processes to fix or ameliorate it. I work mostly with electronic and computer control system but basic trouble-shooting techniques see to work for everything including marriage, raising kids, and fixing my car.
I had a professor who was hired by the City Council of Los Angeles because he was a systems guru. They wanted him to tell them how to get rid of blight in downtown.
He did his research, and made his presentation. The answer: tear down all the housing.
They said that would probably work, thanked him for his input and when he’d left, started working on plan B.
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
