One of the concepts we want to teach at Chrysalis is feedback loops. One of the best kid-experienceable examples of a snowballing positive feedback loop happens at the front end of a group of walking kids. If several kids want to be the “leader”, one of the kids who is in the lead will start walking faster. This makes a second kid walk faster which makes the other one walk faster and, if there are other kids wanting to be at or near the front, they all start hurrying. Under the “proper circumstances” within seconds, the front of the group can burst forward into an out-of-control buffalo stampede. I’ve started using this example to explain the dynamics of feedback loops to kids and they get it.
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