  Oscillations are observed in all branches of science and culture, ranging
from the behavior of ele-mentary particles, atoms, molecules in simple chemical
or physical systems or even in complex organisms, up to oscillations of the
behavior of complex organisms such as human beings. Exam-ples of the latter are
phenomena as different as waves of public taste, particularly obvious in
fash-ion, or periodically repeated surplus or deficiency of qualified jobs in a
certain profession. In the focus of the presentation are those cycles that are
characterized by periodical sequences of over- and under-estimation (hype
cycles). They are not only ubiquitous but also of great impact on and hence of
great interest for society. Many of the other oscillation modes, though, can be
mapped on this.
