That's part of the section about "Control" from a "Changing the way we think about quality" presentation I did earlier this year. It's yet another attempt to explain the law of requisite variety. I hope it has some value outside the context of the presentation of which it was part.

1. Ashby's Law in
the first hour of
the day
That's part of the section about
"Control" from a "Changing the
way we think about quality"
presentation I did earlier this year.
It's yet another attempt to explain
the law of requisite variety.
Ivo Velitchkov, March 2013

2. Only variety can absorb
variety
Ashby's law

3. We experience Ashby's law of
requisite variety probably as
often as we experience
Newton's law of gravity.

6. 21:30 the previous night

7. 21:30 the previous night
Only variety can
absorb variety

9. If the two hands of the
clock were the same
shape and size, what
would happen with the
variety of the clock?

10. It will be reduced…

11. It will be reduced…
12:30 = 06:03

12. Why when I’m
stressed, it takes me
more time to get the
right water
temperature?

13. What will be the
weather today?

14. What will be the
weather today?

15. I can better control
the impact of the
weather changes on
me today if I put
more layers on..

16. Clay tablets are pretty old.
You can write (well, only once)
and read on them. It's only
that they have much lower
variety than the one in my
hands…

18. It controls the
traffic with 3 or 4
signals, but it has a
variety of 8, so there is
a redundant variety…

19. When the variety of
the traffic cannot be
absorbed by the road
network, it is absorbed
by a traffic jam…

22. Have you heard we
have a new
competitor?
Yes, and I wonder what is best
to do: increase our product
range to cover what they have
or merge with it to increase our
capabilities and have one
competitor less?

23. THE END