REPLY Renaming System Dynamics (SD6394)

[SDMAIL Tom Forest]

Posted by  Tom Forest <tforest at prometheal.com>

I resisted this thread for a long time, but Yaman Barlas' thoughtful 
posting of March 24 kept summoning from my inbox and would not be filed 
away until I replied to it. So saying...

When I use the term "System Dynamics" with people, I get blank looks. 
Asking for familiarity with Jay Forrester, Limits to Growth, Peter Senge 
or The Fifth Discipline, I might get a response from one in ten. If I say 
"modeling via solving systems of nonlinear equations solved in time 
series,"  the more technically minded nod semi-comprehendingly--maybe 
another two out of ten. "Computer modeling" most people will understand, 
as far as it goes, but of course SD is a tiny part of that category. Then 
I might follow with "it's much like weather modeling or engineering 
models, but applied to non-engineering problems: basically it's rocket 
science." It still seems unsatisfying. If people are still with me, they 
typically inquire about point-to-point predictions, which of course are 
besides the point (sorry, couldn't resist).  The key paradox has always 
been that SD is about the quantitative description of qualitative 
behavior, and deeply involves both the right side/left side of the brain. 
We don't have many similar pursuits, and those that are closest are 
musically or visually artistic. If I say SD is about designing and 
building simulators and simulations, then people start thinking about 
computer games, which is still somewhat frustrating but is the best I've 
managed to date.

In the preface to John Sterman's excellent "Business Dynamics," which I 
recently read cover-to-cover (sorry it took me so long, John!) he waits 
until the third paragraph to define system dynamics (which he does not 
capitalize. interestingly enough in light of this thread) as "a 
perspective and set of conceptual tools that enable us to understand the 
structure and dynamics of complex systems. System dynamics is also a 
rigorous modeling method that enables us to build formal computer 
simulations of complex systems and use them to design more effective 
policies and organizations." Spot on, of course, but as befits a 982 page 
textbook it's a bit on the dry side and doesn't immediately suggest an 
alternative name for our field. And frankly, Jay Forrester borrowed the 
term system dynamics from his engineering background so we don't even have 
priority in usage.

What do you use for your elevator speeches, 15-second sound bite 
descriptions of SD, to pique someone's interest? Yaman, how about that 
naming contest?

Tom Lum Forest
Forest Grove, Oregon USA
Posted by  Tom Forest <tforest at prometheal.com>
posting date  Mon, 9 Apr 2007 21:39:24 -0800