Daniel Chapman Stillson Daniel Chapman Stillson Daniel Chapman Stillson (March 25, 1826 - August 23, 1899) was an American inventor. He invented the modern adjustable pipe wrench. He was born March 25, 1826 in Durham, New Hampshire. He was the son of William Stillson and Nancy Chapman. He married Ellen Raynes Davis on April 18, 1855. He was a machinist during the American Civil War and served on David Glasgow Farraguts first voyage as a vice admiral. At the end of the Civil War, Stillson returned to Charlestown, Massachusetts, and eventually he moved to Somerville, Massachusetts. He then worked as a machinist at
The purpose of a system is what it does The purpose of a system is what it does The purpose of a system is what it does (POSIWID) is a systems thinking heuristic coined by Stafford Beer. Stafford Beer coined the term POSIWID and used it many times in public addresses. In his address to the University of Valladolid, Spain, in October 2001, he said "According to the cybernetician, the purpose of a system is what it does. This is a basic dictum. It stands for bald fact, which makes a better starting point in seeking understanding than the familiar attributions of good intention, prejudices about expectations, moral judgment,