Cross-Domain System Analogies

Runaway Amplification Effects

Small inputs causing disproportionately large, potentially destructive outputs

Biology	Neural Networks	Markets	Social Systems	Organizations	Ecosystems	Meditation
Epilepsy	Exploding gradients	Bullwhip effect	Mass panic/riots	Bureaucratic cascade	Algal blooms (hypereutrophy)	Jhanas
Cytokine storm	Mode collapse	Market bubbles	Moral panics	Mass resignations	Extinction cascades	—
Autoimmune disorders	—	Bank runs	—	—	—	—

Selfish Replication & Information Corruption

Self-interested elements that exploit systems for their own propagation

Biology	Neural Networks	Markets	Organizations	Evolution
Transposons	Gradient hackers	Mis-reporting profit	HR departments	—
Prions	—	Accounting fraud	"Best practices" fads	Meiotic drive
Cancer	—	Ponzi schemes	Management consultants	—

System Defense Overreactions

Protective mechanisms that become harmful when overactive

Biology	Computing	Social Systems	Organizations	Markets
Autoimmune disorders	Overzealous antivirus	Moral panics	Bureaucratic paralysis	Over-regulation
Allergic reactions	False positive spam filtering	Witch hunts	Excessive compliance	Trade wars
—	DDoS protection blocking legitimate traffic	Cancel culture	Zero-tolerance policies	Market manipulation penalties

Information/Resource Flow Blockages

System arteries getting clogged, preventing necessary circulation

Biology	Computing	Markets	Transport	Organizations	Neural Networks
Blood clots	Memory leaks	Liquidity crises	Traffic jams	Communication silos	Vanishing gradients
Kidney stones	Buffer overflows	Credit crunches	Supply chain bottlenecks	Information hoarding	Dead neurons
—	Deadlocks	—	—	Approval bottlenecks	—

Resource Overconsumption & Explosive Growth

Entities consuming resources faster than sustainable, leading to system collapse

Computing	Biology	Markets	Organizations	Ecosystems	Social Systems
Fork bombs	Cancer	Tragedy of commons	Budget bloat	Invasive species	Attention capture
Memory bombs	Parasitic infections	Asset bubbles	Empire building	Monocultures	Viral content
—	Bacterial overgrowth	—	Meeting proliferation	—	Information overload

Compression/Decompression Attacks

Small, innocent-looking inputs that explode when processed

Computing	Biology	Organizations	Markets	Cognitive
Zip bombs	Prions	Simple policies with massive unintended consequences	Small regulatory changes causing market chaos	Intrusive thoughts
XML bombs	Viral infections	"Helpful" suggestions that create bureaucracy	Penny stock pump-and-dumps	Earworms
Algorithmic complexity attacks	Autoimmune triggers	Innocent questions that expose systemic problems	—	Gotcha questions

Positive Feedback Collapse

Self-reinforcing cycles that lead to system breakdown

Markets	Social Systems	Ecosystems	Tech Platforms	Neural Networks	Organizations
Bank runs	Mass panic	Extinction cascades	Network death spirals	Mode collapse	Mass resignations
Flash crashes	Stampedes	Ecosystem collapse	User exodus	Training collapse	Brain drain
—	Social contagion	—	Platform abandonment	—	Talent flight

Error Correction & Adaptation Mechanisms

Systems that maintain stability by correcting deviations

Biology	ML Systems	Organizations	Markets	Evolution
Immune system	Regularization	Quality control	Arbitrage	Natural selection
DNA repair	Dropout	Performance reviews	Price discovery	Mutation repair
Homeostasis	Batch normalization	Feedback loops	Market makers	Genetic redundancy

Tolerance & Regulatory Capture

Systems learning to ignore what should be threats

Biology	Politics	ML Systems	Organizations
Immune tolerance	Regulatory capture	Concept drift adaptation	Institutional capture
Acquired immunity	Lobbying influence	Adversarial adaptation	Cultural assimilation
—	Revolving door	—	Stockholm syndrome

Knowledge Transfer Across Domains

Mechanisms for spreading useful information/capabilities

Biology	ML Systems	Organizations	Culture
Horizontal gene transfer	Transfer learning	Best practice sharing	Cultural diffusion
Viral transmission	Few-shot learning	Knowledge management	Meme propagation
Symbiosis	Model distillation	Strategic alliances	Cross-pollination

System Pruning & Optimization

Removing inefficiencies while preserving function

Biology	ML Systems	Organizations	Markets
Genome compaction	Model pruning	Downsizing	Creative destruction
Apoptosis	Dropout	Restructuring	Market clearing
—	Weight decay	—	Bankruptcy

Amplification Through Momentum

Systems where current state determines rate of change

Markets	Neural Networks	Social Systems	Cognitive
Momentum trading	SGD momentum	Social movements	Confirmation bias
Trend following	Learning rate schedules	Bandwagon effects	Cognitive momentum
—	Gradient accumulation	—	Belief perseverance

Stable Pathological Oscillations

Systems stuck in destructive cycles rather than collapsing

Audio	Economics	Psychology	Organizations	ML Systems	Biology	Mathematics
Mic feedback	Business cycles	OCD loops	Reorganization cycles	Training oscillations	Circadian disorders	Limit cycles
Audio coupling	Boom-bust cycles	Rumination	Meeting-about-meetings	Mode switching	Predator-prey cycles	Strange attractors
—	Inflation-deflation	—	Restructure-restructure	—	—	—

Parasitic/Exploitative Relationships

Entities that hijack host systems for their own benefit while appearing benign

AI Systems	Biology	Psychology	Organizations	Media/Culture
Parasitic AI personae	Cuckoo birds	Supernormal stimuli	Management consultants	Clickbait
Engagement optimization	Brood parasites	Addiction triggers	Empire builders	Outrage content
Attention hijacking	Parasitic wasps	—	Rent-seeking	—

Note: Empty cells (—) indicate either no clear equivalent exists in that domain, or the analogy hasn't been developed yet. Many of these patterns suggest universal principles about how complex systems can fail, adapt, and maintain stability.