BACKGROUND
Charles François (2004). BACKGROUND, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 233.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 233 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
The significant environment, past and/or present, of a percept, representation or concept.
The background is not taken into account until, for some reason, it becomes modified in a way that affects the observer. This is the case, for instance, of normal gravitation… until there is an earthquake, or for an astronaut floating in outer space.
However, a unperceived part of the background can be significant: nuclear irradiation can kill without being perceived.
The background can also silently accumulate slow changes that may suddently trigger some catastrophic effect.
From a systemic viewpoint, an unobstrusive monitoring of the background can thus be very useful.
See also
Invisibility