Ross Ashby (W. Ross Ashby)

W. Ross Ashby was a pioneering British cybernetician who studied how systems, like the brain or organizations, regulate themselves and adapt to changes. He introduced key ideas such as the "homeostat," a device that maintains stability by adjusting its internal conditions to counteract external disturbances, similar to how the body maintains body temperature. Ashby's work helps us understand complex systems’ self-regulation, feedback loops, and adaptability, emphasizing that systems are interconnected and evolve through internal controls to survive and function effectively. His insights are foundational in cybernetics, systems theory, and artificial intelligence.