Most phenomena in nature, i.e., those things that animals evolved to handle, are dominated by negative feedback mechanisms. For example, when a stone drops into a pond, energy is released in the form of a splash, along with concentric concussion waves that dissipate outwards until equilibrium is once again restored. That's negative feedback. By contrast, a forrest fire, if it gets hot enough, can actually create its own high winds that make it increasingly hot, increasing wind even more, until such point as there's no more fuel. That's a rare positive feedback, and even still, it's limited. A nuclear detonation is an example of a quite pronounced positive feedback: a chain reaction. A longtime friend of mine, Richard Wilson of Sentium Strategic Communications, recently sent out a newsletter, and while it's focussed mainly on the financial crisis, I think it has broad application. I thought I'd share a relevant portion with you. The newspapers tell you everything is crashing. Television reports speak only of doom and gloom. The stock market reacts to this news and goes up and down like an out of control yo-yo. Don't despair. There is something you can do about it. First, turn off the TV....