Commentary from E. Scott Geller on "Complexity and safety" by Rosa Antonia Carrillo

Social traps are negative situations where people get caught in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant, with no easy way to back out of or avoid. The concept was orignally introduced by John Platt who applied psychology to Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons", where in New England herd owners could let their cattle graze in the common ground. This situation seems like a good idea, but an individual could have an advantage. If they owned more cows, the larger...

According to Charles Cooley, we base our image on what we think other people see (Cooley 1902). We imagine how we must appear to others, then react to this speculation. We don certain clothes, prepare our hair in a particular manner, wear makeup, use cologne, and the like—all with the notion that our presentation of ourselves is going to affect how others perceive us. We expect a certain reaction, and, if lucky, we get the one we desire and feel good about it. But more than that, Cooley...

In Signal Flow Graph (SFG) algebra, the value a node represents is determined by the sum of all signals entering that node. This summed value is then transmitted through every branch leaving the node, making the SFG a powerful tool for visualizing and analyzing control systems.
Each node in an SFG corresponds to a variable, and the interactions between nodes are represented by branches with associated gains. When multiple branches lead into a node, the value at that node is the sum of the...

Electrical engineering plays a pivotal role in our daily lives, with control systems at the heart of many applications, from home appliances to sophisticated space shuttles. Control systems manage and regulate the behavior of devices and processes, ensuring they function safely, correctly, and efficiently.
In modern vehicles, control systems manage various functions to enhance performance and safety. The steering wheel and accelerator are primary inputs in a car's control system. The direction...

A schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.

Confounding is a critical issue in epidemiological studies, often leading to misleading conclusions about associations between exposures and outcomes. It occurs when the relationship between the exposure and the outcome is mixed with the effects of other factors that influence the outcome. Given that, addressing confounding is of high importance for drawing accurate inferences in research.
Confounding can be addressed at both the design phase of a study and through analytical methods after data...