cybernetics

cy·ber·net·ics

noun plural but singular in construction \ˌsī-bər-ˈne-tiks\

Definition of CYBERNETICS

: the science of communication and control theory that is concerned especially with the comparative study of automatic control systems (as the nervous system and brain and mechanical-electrical communication systems)

— cy·ber·net·ic \-tik\ also cy·ber·net·i·cal \-ti-kəl\ adjective

— cy·ber·net·i·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Origin of CYBERNETICS

Greek kybernētēs pilot, governor (from kybernan to steer, govern) + English -ics

First Known Use: 1948

Rhymes with CYBERNETICS

dietetics, cytogenetics

cy·ber·net·ics

noun plural but singular or plural in construction \ˌsī-bər-ˈnet-iks\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of CYBERNETICS

: the science of communication and control theory that is concerned especially with the comparative study of automatic control systems (as the nervous system and brain and mechanical-electrical communication systems)

—cy·ber·net·ic \-ik\ also cy·ber·net·i·cal \-i-kəl\ adjective

—cy·ber·net·i·cal·ly \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

cybernetics

   (Concise Encyclopedia)

Science of regulation and control in animals (including humans), organizations, and machines when they are viewed as self-governing whole entities consisting of parts and their organization. It was conceived by Norbert Wiener, who coined the term in 1948. Cybernetics views communication and control in all self-contained complex systems as analogous. It differs from the empirical sciences (physics, biology, etc.) in not being interested in material form but in organization, pattern, and communication in entities. Because of the increasing sophistication of computers and the efforts to make them behave in humanlike ways, cybernetics today is closely allied with artificial intelligence and robotics, and it draws heavily on ideas developed in information theory.