Final answer:
Control systems like negative feedback loops cannot totally eliminate undesirable outputs; they only reduce them and aid in maintaining equilibrium. The complexity of engineered systems means that they can produce unintended consequences, despite the control measures in place.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that control systems have been created to totally eliminate undesirable outputs is false. While control systems are designed to reduce and manage undesirable outputs through mechanisms like negative feedback loops, they cannot completely eliminate them. Negative feedback loops are a control mechanism that serves to reduce an excessive response and help keep a variable within its normal range. When a variable strays from its set point, the negative feedback system activates an effector to counteract the change and return the system to equilibrium. It is important to understand the limitations of these systems and acknowledge that, due to the complexity of engineered systems, they can produce unintended and undesirable consequences that are not completely eliminable.
For example, the development of cars and trucks has been beneficial for transportation but has also led to air pollution and urban sprawl, showing that engineering solutions can have both intended and unintended outcomes. An isolated system—a theoretical concept where no energy or matter is exchanged with the surroundings—is not influenced by external factors but, in reality, such systems are hard to achieve.