Developing understanding: Models 12-13 [Systems thinking & modelling series]
This is part 15 of a series of articles featuring the book Beyond Connecting the Dots, Modeling for Meaningful Results.
Infinite Drinkers
The “Infinite Drinkers” is an attempt at modeling humor. Hope you enjoy it.
How many beers does it take to serve an infinite number of drinkers?
Need help? See the Model instructions
You can build models to help understand almost any set of interactions. At times they can be really simple. Often the most amazing insights arise from what appear to be very simple models. The more complex the model, the more likely insights are to get lost in the detail.
Frequently Recurring Structures
There is a set of frequently recurring structures that have a very distinct structure and characteristic pattern of behavior. Understanding the manner in which the relations within these structures unfold can be very helpful in determining how to deal with situations. The “Frequently Recurring Structures” model provides an initial introduction to these structures.
There is a typical unfolding relationship between the common recurring structures.
Need help? See the Model instructions
Hopefully the relationships between these frequently recurring structures has provided food for thought in terms of how connected things really are, and how there are very typical paths of evolution.
In the next part of the series we’ll delve a bit deeper into some more involved models in a number of different disciplines.
Next edition: Developing understanding: Summary.
Article sources: Beyond Connecting the Dots, Insight Maker. Reproduced by permission.
Header image source: Beyond Connecting the Dots.
