Alternative stable states (i.e., hysteresis). A well know theory/phenomenon in ecology.
Think of it this way – when is it easiest and you therefore have your best chance at stopping a boulder from rolling down hill?
At the very beginning. Every second it remains untouched, or uncorrected, it gains momentum. This means that as time goes on, more and more and *more* energy will be required to counteract this momentum, thus making it more difficult.
And it’s not enough to invest the same amount of energy to course correct. No. Unfortunately that doesn’t scale isometrically. In other words, at some point more energy will be required to return a system to its original state than it used to get to this altered stable state.
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Alternative stable states (i.e., hysteresis). A well know theory/phenomenon in ecology.
Think of it this way – when is it easiest and you therefore have your best chance at stopping a boulder from rolling down hill?
At the very beginning. Every second it remains untouched, or uncorrected, it gains momentum. This means that as time goes on, more and more and *more* energy will be required to counteract this momentum, thus making it more difficult.
And it’s not enough to invest the same amount of energy to course correct. No. Unfortunately that doesn’t scale isometrically. In other words, at some point more energy will be required to return a system to its original state than it used to get to this altered stable state.