Introduction
This sample data set is provided for download into an individual’s NotebookLM for the purpose of play with and getting a feel for the STPrism approach. It reflects the status of the STPrism QSets on 10.02.2026 and will remain as a fixed sample set representative of the approach, but not updated as the most recent version of STPrism.
The dataset can be downloads and used to generate your own NotebookLM within the limits for the free personal service. The queries that you issue are private to you and will lead you to your own unique insight and conclusions.
If you are interested in learning more this site gives instructions on beginning from scratch. There are subscription options being considered. Alternatively if you want to participate in the research programmes Research-Project or Data-Eng please get in touch (email: stprism@idok.me.
Summary of the Sample Data
The provided texts offer a comprehensive study of Systems Thinking and Complexity Science, contrasting traditional models of centralised control with modern theories of emergent self-organisation. While Systems Thinking often focuses on deliberate design and homeostasis to solve structured problems, Complexity Science examines non-linear dynamics and unpredictable patterns within “wicked” environments. The collection explores the epistemic shift required to move from mechanistic, “Machine Age” logic toward a “living systems” model that embraces uncertainty and distributed intelligence. Key methodologies, such as Soft Systems Methodology and the Viable System Model, are presented as tools for articulating reflection and managing interdependent relationships within social and technical frameworks. Ultimately, the sources suggest that effective intervention in a complex world requires a multidisciplinary approach that values diverse perspectives and ethical boundary judgements.
For more detail see HomeBrew Profile
The Authors and their Contribution
The source material is organized into QSets (Question Sets) that categorize the contributions of approximately 50 different “voices” or authors across various aspects of Systems Thinking and Complexity Science.
The following table summarizes the different authors detailed in the sources, the number of files (QSet categories) they appear in, and the number of core principles or fundamental theories they introduce based on their specific “Gists” and “Keywords” sections.
| Author | Number of Files | Core Principles / Theories Introduced |
|---|---|---|
| C. West Churchman | 9 | 10 (Ethical Imperative, 9 Teleological Questions, Inquiring Systems, Sweeping-in, etc.) |
| James Ladyman | 9 | 7 (Naturalistic Closure, Primacy of Physics, Ontic Structural Realism, Rainforest Realism, etc.) |
| MC Jackson | 9 | 7 (Critical Systems Thinking, Pluralism, EPIC Framework, SOSM, Emancipation, etc.) |
| Peter Senge | 9 | 7 (5 Disciplines, Learning Organization, Dynamic vs. Detail Complexity, Leverage, etc.) |
| Claude Shannon | 9 | 6 (Information/Meaning Separation, Quantifiability, Efficient Coding, Secrecy Laws, etc.) |
| Colin Eden | 10 | 6 (Subjective Reality, SODA, JOURNEY Model, Cognitive Mapping, Tear-drops, etc.) |
| Dee Hock | 10 | 6 (Chaordic Concept, Distributive Power, Inseparability, Indeterminacy, Dissipation, Emergence) |
| Ian Mitroff | 10 | 6 (Unbounded Systems Thinking, Messes vs. Exercises, TOP Perspectives, SAST, etc.) |
| John Warfield | 10 | 6 (WPOC, Spreadthink, Fundamental Triangle, ISM, 20 Laws of Complexity, etc.) |
| Nassim Taleb | 9 | 6 (Antifragility, The Triad, Black Swans, Via Negativa, Skin in the Game, Extremistan) |
| Peter Checkland | 10 | 6 (SSM, Learning Paradigm, Weltanschauung, Holons as Models, CATWOE, 3 Es) |
| Relational Biologists | 9 | 6 (Epistemic Cut, Semantic Closure, Rate-Independence, Modeling Relation, etc.) |
| Russ Ackoff | 9 | 6 (Systems Age vs. Machine Age, Synthesis, Interaction, Idealized Design, DIKW, etc.) |
| Barry Richmond | 9 | 5 (Dynamic Thinking, System-as-Cause, Operational Thinking, Loop Thinking, Stocks/Flows) |
| Bob Williams | 9 | 5 (Inter-relationships, Perspectives, Boundaries, Boundary Critique, Dialectic Inquiry) |
| Dave Snowden | 10 | 5 (Ontology Precedes Epistemology, Cynefin, Anthro-complexity, Human Sensors, etc.) |
| Derek Cabrera | 10 | 5 (DSRP Rule Set, Universal Reality Code, Parallelism, System 3 Thinking, etc.) |
| Fred Emery | 9 | 5 (Open Systems Theory, Two-Stage Model, DP1 vs DP2, Active Adaptation, Contextualism) |
| George Lakoff | 9 | 5 (Embodied Cognition, Conceptual Metaphor, Unconscious Thought, Framing, etc.) |
| Gregory Bateson | 9 | 5 (Pleroma/Creatura, Information as Difference, Double Description, Abduction, etc.) |
| Harold Nelson | 9 | 5 (Design as First Tradition, Ultimate Particular, Service Relationship, Phronesis, etc.) |
| Herb Simon | 9 | 5 (Bounded Rationality, Satisficing, Near-Decomposability, Sciences of Artificial, etc.) |
| Horst Rittel / Kripp. | 9 | 5 (Second-Order Cybernetics, Constructivism, Semantic Turn, Wicked Problems, etc.) |
| Humberto Maturana | 9 | 5 (Autopoiesis, Ontology of Observer, Structural Coupling, Bringing Forth a World, etc.) |
| Hylton Boothroyd | 9 | 5 (Articulate Intervention, Action Programmes, Theories vs. Proposals, Heuristic Power) |
| James Wilk | 9 | 5 (Metamorphology, Minimalist Intervention, Flux-and-Constraint, Filtering, Ternality) |
| John Flach | 9 | 5 (Meaning Processing, Triadic Semiotics, Circular Causality, Muddling Through, etc.) |
| Max Boisot | 9 | 5 (I-Space, Social Learning Cycle, Law of Requisite Complexity, Economy of Information) |
| Niklas Luhmann | 9 | 5 (System Differentiation, Complexity Reduction, Autopoietic Communication, etc.) |
| Stafford Beer | 9 | 5 (Knowledge of Knowing, Cybernetics of Compassion, Invariance, VSM, Syntegrity) |
| Triz (Bukhman) | 9 | 5 (Ideality, Technical/Physical Contradictions, Su-Field Analysis, LT-System, etc.) |
| Warren Weaver | 9 | 5 (Organized/Disorganized Complexity, Systems Triumvirate, Indifference, etc.) |
| Alan Kay | 9 | 4 (Biological Modeling, Computer-Computer Strategy, Late Binding, Power of Perspective) |
| Donella Meadows | 9 | 4 (Leverage Points, Feedback Loops, Limits to Growth, Dancing with Systems) |
| Geoffrey Vickers | 9 | 4 (Appreciation, Fact/Value Inseparability, Relationship Maintenance, System Levels) |
| Mike McMaster | 9 | 4 (Distributed Intelligence, Living Systems Model, Organizational Intelligence, Praxis) |
| Neil Postman | 9 | 4 (Media as Epistemology, Technopoly, The Medium is the Metaphor, Information Glut) |
| TOG (Collective) | 9 | 4 (Risk-Based Framework, Italian Flag Model, Strategic Nudges, Death of Methodology) |
| Alicia Juarrero | 9 | 3 (Contextualizing, Dynamics over Mechanics, Constraints as Causes) |
Notes on the Table
• File Count: Most authors appear in 9 core QSet categories: Complexity, Distinctions, Environment, Gists, How-To, Keywords, Nutshell, Perspectives, and Questions. Authors with 10 files also have a presence in the “People Dynamics” or “Dialectic” set.
• Principles Count: This represents the distinct, named concepts or “laws” the author advocates for as their unique contribution to managing complexity. Some authors (like Churchman) provide a dense philosophical structure, while others (like Meadows) focus on a few highly influential leverage points.