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RE: Exponential functions! Or why you probably still massively underestimate Steemit.com. No, you probably don’t really understand them!
It would be so nice if people appreciated the exponential function more. It's important in so many parts of life, too, in biological systems.
indeed, when people lament unintented consequences, the problem usually was looked at the wrong way. you see it time and time again with ecology interventions by humans, for instance introducing foreign species to control one problem distorting the whole system and creating a bigger problem than they had to start with.
But it can work in positive ways too!
Complex systems have many feedback loops that you need to take into account, they are constantly dynamically changing but when the feedback loops kick in as is currently happening, it keeps reinforcing. It is not really intuitive, because in the physical world there are few places where you can exponential change in a time frame that makes it easy to spot.
Cool blog, following!
I've seen the exponential function in algal blooms and die-offs in small lakes. And weed growth in other lakes, too. And insect population explosions, like with the beetle kill in the western forests of the U.S. earlier this century. Thank goodness for limiting factors and those negative feedbacks that bring stability.
great point, I guess what I wanted to say is that most people these days don't pay attention long enough to observe something to develop.
You are quite right algae blooms etc. might use that as an example in the future
Some system changes do happen slowly. We are in the early stages of climate exponential change right now. One that I haven't personally experienced (thank goodness), comes up in the news regularly deals with infectious disease. The exponential function is what scares all the health professionals about the Ebola virus and even with permafrost melting that could release live smallpox virus again. Here's to Steemit behaving like a virus, but one with lots of positive outcomes! Here's to networks!
I think so, the challenge will be to fine tune the feedbackloops in the reward structure so good behaviour like commenting and exchanging links is encouraged rather than blind robo voting which generates upvote income short term but long term does not contribute to the value of the platform! By the way do you know the open ecology project? Given that you are homesteading it might be right up your alley! https://steemit.com/technology/@the-traveller/world-changing-ideas-open-source-ecology-and-the-global-village-construction-set
Thanks for pointing that out! I headed over to that post to check it out!