SIMULTANEITY
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3053 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
F. HEYLIGHEN points out that in relativistic theories “the relationship of simultaneity becomes relative (i.e. dependent on the reference frame of the observer)” (1990a, p. 438).
This can be generalized.
Due to variable time lags, in no type of transmission process is transmission instantaneous. Thus simultaneous events in different parts of a system remain unconnected for some time.
Event A and event B can influence each other only after a delay and only if and when some of their consequences meet and interact in some place. So, in any complex system, somewhat disconnected areas of activity do always exist: simultaneous causes do not generally produce simultaneous effects in the system as a whole.
This is the basic cause of nonlineality and chaos.