Quick Scoop

Cybernetics is the study of communication, control, and feedback in complex systems, including machines, animals, and organizations. In simple terms, it asks how a system senses what is happening, compares it with a goal, and adjusts its behavior to stay on track.

[3][5]

What It Means

The idea became especially associated with Norbert Wiener in the 1940s, who described it as the science of control and communication in animals and machines. Modern explanations also emphasize feedback loops, recursion, and how outputs from a system can become new inputs.

[1][5][7]

Why It Matters

Cybernetics influences fields such as engineering, biology, AI, medicine, and social systems because it provides a framework for understanding how complex systems regulate themselves. Examples include thermostats, the nervous system, automatic control systems, and decision-making in organizations.

[4][9][1]

In One Line

Cybernetics is the science of how systems self- regulate through feedback and communication.

[5][3]