Macy conferences

The Macy conferences were a set of meetings of scholars from various academic disciplines held in New York under the direction of Frank Fremont-Smith at the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation starting in 1941 and ending in 1960. The explicit aim of the conferences was to promote meaningful communication across scientific disciplines,^[1] and restore unity to science.^[2] There were different sets of conferences designed to cover specific topics, for a total of 160 conferences over the 19 years this program was active;^[3] the phrase "Macy conference" does not apply only to those on cybernetics, although it is sometimes used that way informally by those familiar only with that set of events. Disciplinary isolation within medicine was viewed as particularly problematic by the Macy Foundation, and given that their mandate was to aid medical research, they decided to do something about it.^[4] Thus other topics covered in different sets of conferences included: aging, adrenal cortex, biological antioxidants, blood clotting, blood pressure, connective tissues, infancy and childhood, liver injury, metabolic interrelations, nerve impulse, problems of consciousness, and renal function.^[5]

^ von Foerster, H., Mead, M., & Teuber, H. L. (Eds.). (1951). Cybernetics: Circular causal and feedback mechanisms in biological and social systems. Transactions of the seventh conference. New York: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, p. vii
^ Fremont-Smith, F. (1960). The Macy Foundation conference plan. In M. Capes (Ed.), Communication or conflict: Conferences, their nature, dynamics and planning. New York: Association Press, pp. 218-19.
^ Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation. (1960). A review of activities, 1956-1960. New York: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, p. 7
^ von Foerster, H., Mead, M., & Teuber, H. L. (Eds.). (1952). Cybernetics: Circular causal and feedback mechanisms in biological and social systems. Transactions of the eighth conference. New York: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, p. vii.
^ von Foerster, H., Mead, M., & Teuber, H. L. (Eds.). (1951). Cybernetics: Circular causal and feedback metchanisms in biological and social systems. Transactions of the seventh Conference. New York: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, p. 7

[1] von Foerster, H., Mead, M., & Teuber, H. L. (Eds.). (1951). Cybernetics: Circular causal and feedback mechanisms in biological and social systems. Transactions of the seventh conference. New York: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, p. vii

[2] Fremont-Smith, F. (1960). The Macy Foundation conference plan. In M. Capes (Ed.), Communication or conflict: Conferences, their nature, dynamics and planning. New York: Association Press, pp. 218-19.

[3] Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation. (1960). A review of activities, 1956-1960. New York: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, p. 7

[4] von Foerster, H., Mead, M., & Teuber, H. L. (Eds.). (1952). Cybernetics: Circular causal and feedback mechanisms in biological and social systems. Transactions of the eighth conference. New York: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, p. vii.

[5] von Foerster, H., Mead, M., & Teuber, H. L. (Eds.). (1951). Cybernetics: Circular causal and feedback metchanisms in biological and social systems. Transactions of the seventh Conference. New York: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, p. 7

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