The Ashby box as situated object within context

Abstract

Open peer commentary on the article “Design of a Contemporary Elementary Non-Trivial Machine” by Thomas Fischer & Hengjie Li. Abstract: We explore the implications of the design of the hand-held Elementary Non-Trivial Machine, a contemporary reconstruction of the Ashby Box by Thomas Fischer and Hengjie Li. Situating it in conjunction with earlier speculative efforts by Fischer in collaboration with Andrei Cretu, we consider the evolution of early cybernetic concepts and artifacts and their continuation in contemporary socio-techno landscapes. Applying the dynamic framework of Gilbert Simondon’s philosophy on the evolution of the technical object, an emphasis is placed on the interplay between machines and their associated milieu as well as the role of material and human intentionality in the development of knowledge-bearing artifacts.