GUIDE: LABORATORYfor CYBERNETICS
Cybernetics is a systems discipline uniquely suited to wicked challenges because it forefronts information and purpose for guiding design and action in today’s complex entanglements of natural, technological, and social systems.
This document offers a Summary Description of The Laboratory for Cybernetics opening in Spring 2025 and links to Defining Documents that offer more detail, including specifics of a related course, “Engaging Wicked Challenges.” See also the Carnegie Mellon—Architecture landing page.
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
Students grappling with domains of ‘wicked challenges’ are invited to engage with the Laboratory for Cybernetics (L4C) for course projects and thesis work. (More on ‘wicked challenges’ here.)
The first premise of L4C is that experimentation is the necessary mindset when approaching ‘wicked challenges’, rather than digesting a preset curriculum. This implicates a circular process, for example, from experiment to observation to evaluation to intention to experiment, in a recursive process of learning.
The second premise is that Cybernetics and Systems afford unique and relatively untapped resources for approaching wicked challenges. The purpose of the lab is to make these resources available and usable to students of any disciplinary background, geography or culture, or age cohort.
The third premise is that students benefit deeply when engaged with in-world practitioners. Guidance is offered for bridging generational differences of education, learning styles, and worldview, in part by fore-fronting the individual student’s domains of interest and personal commitments that arise from life experience. Additional scaffolding includes watching for shifts of mindset and tracking interim artifacts, while generally discouraging a relationship ‘between mentor and student’ and encouraging one of ‘co-collaborators.’
The resources of L4C will be grown over time in categories of concepts and materials, models and methods, networking and collaborating. Students and practitioners that utilize the lab will be invited to add their work to the collection of resources. Outcomes will be shared reciprocally, from L4C outward and from our collaborators inward.
To establish an appropriate mechanism for utilizing the L4C, starting in 2025 a course will be offered each Spring semester called Laboratory for Cybernetics: Engaging Wicked Challenges (from CMU Architecture course catalog). This course is cross-listed in Architecture and Design, and is available to graduate students and to 3rd- and 4th-year undergraduates by permission.
DEFINING DOCUMENTS
CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES TO LAB4C REPOSITORY
Please use this GOOG Form to contribute concepts and materials, models and methods relating to Cybernetics and Systems, especially in regard to tackling wicked challenges.
A major activity of the L4C is to gather a wide range of materials and media to support students, scholars, and practitioners who wish to use Cybernetics and Systems in their course work, projects, theses, and overall learning.
The ambition for these resources is broad. We hope to tap expertise from individuals as well as across Cybernetics and Systems organizations globally in order to make important materials easily accessible across age and education, schools and organizations, geographies and cultures. The resources serve CMU students who participate in L4C activities, including the graduate course Engaging Wicked Challenges and available publicly. Decisions concerning entries and general editorial decisions will be made by a committee of advisors comprising individuals internal and external to CMU.
Please add resources via this form. Repeat the survey to add additional entries. Please feel free to share it with colleagues. Should you have any questions or critique, please email Paul Pangaro ppangaro@cmu.edu. Thank you.