Talk:Homeostasis

Homeostasis is central to all living systems

As Gregory Bateson noted in his 1972 book, Steps to an Ecology of Mind, All living systems maintain a normal internal stability called homeostasis, which is accomplished through reciprocal feedback. He spent the last 10 years of his life working on establishing a new level of Science that would include all ecosystems. In his introduction to the book he critiques traditional science and explains how it is often unable to change to accept new discoveries. For example, these days we talk of global warming or climate change, but it's because of the homeostatic nature of the regional and global ecosystems and how they interact that is ignored that we aren't solving the problems of the global climate crisis. If we would work WITH nature to restore the homeostatic balance many problems would be resolved quickly. E.g. Restoring the fertility of our agricultural soils would absorb enormous amounts of carbon in less time than it takes to grow trees to sapling size. One thing that seems to be ignored about Bateson is he was an interdisciplinary thinker--a mind which functions more like an ecosystem, and is unlike linear thinking. As a result, much of what he said has been missed or misunderstood. Note: Over 10 years ago I was editing Bateson's concept of Double Binds and signed myself 205.167.120.201 (talk) 20:59, 16 August 2023 (UTC)MargaretMary.

Attention Editors

This article seems to be at the level of a college biology textbook on the human body, but you have not given a generalized definition of homeostasis for informed laypeople. Your note near the end of the article that homeostasis may apply to the global climate is correct, and we are facing a growing global catastrophe without a clear understanding of living ecosystems function. The dynamics of homeostasis very urgently need to be understood at that wider level. I first came across this in the early 1970s in the book: Steps to an Ecology of Mind, written by Gregory Bateson, an interdisciplinary thinker and scientist. In the 1940s he attended a conference with early information on ecosystems and homeostasis and recognized that he had seen it work in long-sustainable human social communities (cultures) in the South Pacific. He also recognized that the requirement that the rules of the hard sciences be followed were blocking knowledge of living systems in anthropology, sociology and psychology. He analyzed this in the Introduction to his book. Bateson spent the last 10 years of his life establishing a foundation to unify all living ecosystems theories. The format of Wikipedia is, as I understand it, to have in the first section (paragraph or paragraphs) something very short, defining the overall concept. Please rework your opening paragraphs of the entry to aid laypeople's understanding. Also, see my Aug. 16, 2023 entry. 205.167.120.201 (talk) 20:20, 31 August 2023 (UTC)MargaretMary.