The people of cybernetics
The family tree maps the ideas. This maps the people: who worked with whom, who read whom, and the labs, schools and conferences where they met. Search a name, or tap one, to see the people around it.
The people and the lines between them are Hugh Dubberly’s Social Graph of Cybernetics, made to go with his essay with Paul Pangaro, and used here with credit. His note on each line, and his sources, are on his graph. What this page adds is the join: where one of his people is on my family tree, wrote a paper I have a primer for, or speaks in a talk I kept.
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Everyone on it
By Dubberly’s own groups, each name with the people and places around it. Open a group to read it; a name opens it in the graph above, and a ring marks someone who is also on my map of the ideas. A after a name marks a line Wikidata also records.
Scientists 20
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Worked togetherNorbert Wiener
Organizations and eventsBehavior, Purpose and Teleology
On the family treeBehavior, Purpose and Teleology
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Worked togetherNorbert Wiener
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Worked togetherStafford Beer
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Worked togetherHumberto Maturana (also in Wikidata)
InfluenceGene Youngblood
On the family treeAutopoiesis, The Embodied Mind
PrimerAutopoiesis
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Worked togetherCedric Price, Design Methods Conference, Heinz von Foerster, Nicholas Negroponte, Norbert Wiener (also in Wikidata), Paul Pangaro, R. D. Laing, Ranulph Glanville, Stafford Beer, Ted Nelson, W. Grey Walter
Organizations and eventsBiological Computer Laboratory
On the family treePask's conversation theory
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Worked togetherMargaret Mead (also in Wikidata), R. D. Laing, Stewart Brand
Organizations and eventsThe Macy conferences
On the family treeBateson: the double bind, an ecology of mind, The Macy conferences
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Worked togetherGene Youngblood, Gordon Pask, Humberto Maturana, John Rheinfrank, Serge Chermayeff, Stafford Beer, Stewart Brand, Terry Winograd, Timothy Leary, W. Ross Ashby (also in Wikidata)
Organizations and eventsThe Macy conferences
On the family treeThe Macy conferences, Von Foerster, the observer inside
PrimerCybernetics of Cybernetics, Ethics and Second-Order Cybernetics, On Constructing a Reality
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Worked togetherFernando Flores, Francisco Varela (also in Wikidata), Gene Youngblood, Heinz von Foerster, Terry Winograd, Warren McCulloch
Organizations and eventsBiological Computer Laboratory
On the family treeAutopoiesis
PrimerAutopoiesis
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InfluenceNorbert Wiener
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InfluenceNorbert Wiener
On the family treeMaxwell, On Governors
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Worked togetherNorbert Wiener
Organizations and eventsBehavior, Purpose and Teleology
On the family treeBehavior, Purpose and Teleology
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Worked togetherGregory Bateson (also in Wikidata), Stewart Brand
Organizations and eventsThe Macy conferences
On the family treeMead, Cybernetics of Cybernetics, The Macy conferences
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InfluenceGene Youngblood, Norbert Wiener, Stewart Brand
Organizations and eventsCedric Price, Charles Eames
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Worked togetherArturo Rosenblueth, Bertrand Russell, Gordon Pask (also in Wikidata), HfG Ulm, Julian Bigelow, Vannevar Bush
InfluenceBuckminster Fuller, Gene Youngblood, J. Willard Gibbs, James Clerk Maxwell, Lou Danziger, Marshall McLuhan, Stafford Beer
Organizations and eventsBehavior, Purpose and Teleology, The Macy conferences
On the family treeBehavior, Purpose and Teleology, The Macy conferences, Wiener, Cybernetics
PrimerBehavior, Purpose and Teleology, Cybernetics, the introduction
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Worked togetherGordon Pask, Gregory Bateson
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Worked togetherBrian Eno, Fernando Flores, Gordon Pask, Gui Bonsiepe, Heinz von Foerster, W. Ross Ashby, Warren McCulloch
InfluenceNorbert Wiener
Organizations and eventsW. Grey Walter
On the family treeManagement cybernetics, the VSM, Organizational design, Project Cybersyn
PrimerThe Viable System Model
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Worked togetherGordon Pask, W. Ross Ashby
InfluenceWilliam Burroughs
Organizations and eventsStafford Beer
On the family treeRatio Club, Grey Walter's tortoises
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Worked togetherHeinz von Foerster (also in Wikidata), Stafford Beer, W. Grey Walter
InfluenceChristopher Alexander
Organizations and eventsBiological Computer Laboratory
On the family treeAshby, requisite variety, Every Good Regulator, Ratio Club, Grey Walter's tortoises
PrimerEvery Good Regulator of a System Must Be a Model of That System, Requisite Variety
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Worked togetherWarren McCulloch
Organizations and eventsThe Macy conferences
On the family treeA Logical Calculus of neurons, The Macy conferences
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Worked togetherHumberto Maturana, Stafford Beer, Walter Pitts
Organizations and eventsThe Macy conferences
On the family treeA Logical Calculus of neurons, The Macy conferences
Designers and architects 17
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Organizations and eventsWired
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Worked togetherDesign Methods Conference
Organizations and eventsHfG Ulm
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Worked togetherGene Youngblood
InfluenceNorbert Wiener, Stewart Brand
Organizations and eventsCedric Price, Charles Eames
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Worked togetherGordon Pask
Organizations and eventsBuckminster Fuller, Charles Eames, Marshall McLuhan
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Worked togetherGene Youngblood
InfluenceStewart Brand
Organizations and eventsBuckminster Fuller, Cedric Price, Marshall McLuhan
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Christopher Alexander Wikipedia
Worked togetherDesign Methods Conference, Design Patterns (also in Wikidata), Don Koberg, Horst Rittel, Jim Bagnall, Serge Chermayeff, Stewart Brand
InfluenceChuck Owen, Design Methods Conference, W. Ross Ashby
Organizations and eventsUC Berkeley (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherChristopher Alexander, Horst Rittel
Organizations and eventsSoft Systems
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Worked togetherFernando Flores, Stafford Beer
Organizations and eventsHfG Ulm (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherLou Danziger, Paul Pangaro
Organizations and eventsUsman Haque
On the family treeInteraction design, HCI
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Worked togetherChristopher Alexander, Horst Rittel
Organizations and eventsSoft Systems
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Worked togetherLou Danziger
Organizations and eventsWired
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Worked togetherHeinz von Foerster, Terry Winograd
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Worked togetherHugh Dubberly, John Plunkett
InfluenceNorbert Wiener
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Worked togetherGordon Pask, Stewart Brand, Wired
Organizations and eventsMedia Lab (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherGordon Pask, Usman Haque
Organizations and eventsBrunel University (also in Wikidata)
On the family treeInteraction design, HCI, Pask's conversation theory
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Worked togetherChristopher Alexander, Heinz von Foerster
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Worked togetherRanulph Glanville
Organizations and eventsHugh Dubberly
Design theorists and critics 2
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InfluenceChristopher Alexander, Design Methods Conference
Organizations and eventsIIT Institute of Design
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Worked togetherChristopher Alexander, Design Methods Conference, Design Rationale, Don Koberg, Jim Bagnall
Organizations and eventsHfG Ulm (also in Wikidata)
Computer pioneers 21
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Worked togetherApple (also in Wikidata), Bob Taylor, Ivan Sutherland
Organizations and eventsUniversity of Utah (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherStewart Brand, Tim Berners-Lee
InfluenceTed Nelson, Tim Berners-Lee
Organizations and eventsApple (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherAlan Kay, ARPA (also in Wikidata), Douglas Engelbart, John Warnock
InfluenceJ. C. R. Licklider
Organizations and eventsPARC (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherIvan Sutherland (also in Wikidata), Vannevar Bush (also in Wikidata)
Organizations and eventsThe Macy conferences
On the family treeA Mathematical Theory of Communication, Information theory, The name "artificial intelligence"
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Worked togetherARPA, Bob Taylor, Internet, Stewart Brand
InfluenceVannevar Bush (also in Wikidata)
Organizations and eventsNLS (also in Wikidata), SRI (also in Wikidata)
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Organizations and eventsUniversity of Utah (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherGui Bonsiepe, Humberto Maturana, Stafford Beer
Organizations and eventsTerry Winograd
On the family treeProject Cybersyn
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Worked togetherAlan Kay, ARPA, Claude Shannon (also in Wikidata), J. C. R. Licklider
Organizations and eventsUniversity of Utah (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherARPA, Ivan Sutherland
InfluenceBob Taylor
Organizations and eventsThe Macy conferences
On the family treeMan-Computer Symbiosis
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Organizations and eventsUniversity of Utah (also in Wikidata)
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Organizations and eventsUniversity of Utah (also in Wikidata)
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Organizations and eventsThe Macy conferences
On the family treeThe Macy conferences, Von Neumann's automata
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Worked togetherBob Taylor
Organizations and eventsUniversity of Utah (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherTerry Winograd (also in Wikidata)
Organizations and eventsGoogle (also in Wikidata)
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Organizations and eventsApple (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherGordon Pask, Hugh Dubberly
Organizations and eventsBrunel University
On the family treeInteraction design, HCI
PrimerCybernetics and Design, Questions for Conversation Theory, What Is Conversation?
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Worked togetherTerry Winograd
Organizations and eventsGoogle (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherGordon Pask, Stewart Brand, Timothy Leary
InfluenceBill Atkinson, Vannevar Bush (also in Wikidata)
On the family treeNelson's hypertext
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Worked togetherDesign Thinking, Heinz von Foerster, Humberto Maturana, John Rheinfrank, Larry Page (also in Wikidata), Sergey Brin
Organizations and eventsFernando Flores
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Worked togetherBill Atkinson
InfluenceBill Atkinson
Organizations and eventsInternet
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Worked togetherClaude Shannon (also in Wikidata), Norbert Wiener
InfluenceDouglas Engelbart (also in Wikidata), Ted Nelson (also in Wikidata)
Organizations and eventsMIT (also in Wikidata)
Counterculture leaders 6
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Worked togetherBuckminster Fuller, Charles Eames, Heinz von Foerster, Humberto Maturana
InfluenceFrancisco Varela, Marshall McLuhan, Norbert Wiener, Stewart Brand
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Worked togetherStewart Brand, Timothy Leary
Organizations and eventsMerry Pranksters (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherStewart Brand
Organizations and eventsWired
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Worked togetherBill Atkinson, Christopher Alexander, Douglas Engelbart, Gregory Bateson, Heinz von Foerster, Ken Kesey, Kevin Kelly, Margaret Mead, Nicholas Negroponte, Ted Nelson, Timothy Leary
InfluenceBuckminster Fuller, Charles Eames, Gene Youngblood, Marshall McLuhan
On the family treeWhole Earth, counterculture
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Worked togetherHeinz von Foerster, Ken Kesey, Stewart Brand, Ted Nelson
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InfluenceW. Grey Walter
Institutions or conferences 21
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Worked togetherAlan Kay (also in Wikidata), PARC
Organizations and eventsBill Atkinson (also in Wikidata), Larry Tesler (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherBob Taylor (also in Wikidata), Douglas Engelbart, Internet, Ivan Sutherland, J. C. R. Licklider
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Biological Computer Laboratory Wikipedia
Organizations and eventsGordon Pask, Humberto Maturana, W. Ross Ashby
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Organizations and eventsPaul Pangaro, Ranulph Glanville (also in Wikidata)
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Design Methods Conference Wikipedia
Worked togetherBruce Archer, Christopher Alexander, Gordon Pask, Horst Rittel
InfluenceChristopher Alexander, Chuck Owen, Design Thinking
Organizations and eventsLondon
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Worked togetherTerry Winograd
InfluenceDesign Methods Conference, IIT Institute of Design, Soft Systems
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Organizations and eventsLarry Page (also in Wikidata), Sergey Brin (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherNorbert Wiener
Organizations and eventsBruce Archer, Gui Bonsiepe (also in Wikidata), Horst Rittel (also in Wikidata)
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IIT Institute of Design Wikipedia
InfluenceDesign Thinking
Organizations and eventsChuck Owen
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Worked togetherARPA, Douglas Engelbart
Organizations and eventsTim Berners-Lee
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Organizations and eventsNicholas Negroponte (also in Wikidata)
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Organizations and eventsKen Kesey (also in Wikidata)
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Organizations and eventsVannevar Bush (also in Wikidata)
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Organizations and eventsDouglas Engelbart (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherApple
Organizations and eventsBob Taylor (also in Wikidata)
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InfluenceDesign Thinking
Organizations and eventsDon Koberg, Jim Bagnall
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Organizations and eventsDouglas Engelbart (also in Wikidata)
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The Macy conferences Wikipedia
Organizations and eventsClaude Shannon, Gregory Bateson, Heinz von Foerster, J. C. R. Licklider, John von Neumann, Margaret Mead, Norbert Wiener, Walter Pitts, Warren McCulloch
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Organizations and eventsChristopher Alexander (also in Wikidata)
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Organizations and eventsAlan Kay (also in Wikidata), Ed Catmull (also in Wikidata), Ivan Sutherland (also in Wikidata), James Clark (also in Wikidata), Jim Blinn (also in Wikidata), John Warnock (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherNicholas Negroponte
Organizations and eventsBarbara Kuhr, John Plunkett, Kevin Kelly
Publications 3
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Behavior, Purpose and Teleology
Organizations and eventsArturo Rosenblueth, Julian Bigelow, Norbert Wiener
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Worked togetherChristopher Alexander (also in Wikidata)
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Worked togetherHorst Rittel
Places 1
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Organizations and eventsDesign Methods Conference
In numbers
| Group | Names | Lines |
|---|---|---|
| Scientists | 20 | 93 |
| Designers and architects | 17 | 58 |
| Design theorists and critics | 2 | 9 |
| Computer pioneers | 21 | 72 |
| Counterculture leaders | 6 | 33 |
| Institutions or conferences | 21 | 67 |
| Publications | 3 | 5 |
| Places | 1 | 1 |
| Line | Dubberly’s legend | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Worked together | Personal connections, usually collaborations | 90 |
| Influence | Influence, usually based on publications | 26 |
| Organizations and events | Connections to events or organizations | 53 |
| People also on my map of the ideas | joined by name to the family tree and the talks | 24 of 66 |
Checked by a second reader
| Line | Means | Lines |
|---|---|---|
| Also in Wikidata | Wikidata records a link between the two (an advisor, a student, an employer, an influence, a founding) | 32 |
| Dubberly’s alone | both are on Wikidata, and it records no link between them; that says nothing against the line | 110 |
| Read differently | Wikidata links the two people, but as something other than Dubberly’s kind of line; both readings are kept | 0 |
| Not checked | one end has no Wikipedia article to find it by | 25 |
Every line is Dubberly’s, whatever Wikidata says; the second reader only reports, and never adds or removes a line. Wikidata read 2026-10-28.
From Dubberly’s data as published, read 2026-10-28. His lines have no direction, so an influence line says two people are linked by reading, not who read whom. Spellings follow the family tree; nothing is added to his lines.
The other maps: the cybernetics map, what covers each idea · the family tree, the ideas and their lineage · my notes on Dubberly and Pangaro · Dubberly’s own graph, with his notes on every line