Understanding things gives us confidence in solving problems. Wouldn't it be nice if we knew it all and could solve all the problems. In 1996, John Horgan published a book entitled The End of Science in which he proposed that all the major discoveries in science had already been made. Now 28 years later, thinking that there might be something more, I asked Bing: "What major advances have been made in science since 1996?"
Bing answered:
"Since 1996, there have been several significant scientific breakthroughs and discoveries that have shaped our understanding of the world. Here are some notable ones:
Cloning of Dolly the Sheep (1996)
Top Quark Discovery (1997):
Dark Energy and Accelerated Expansion of the Universe (1998)
Tau Neutrino Discovery (2000)
Human Genome Project (2000)
CRISPR Gene Editing Technology (2012)
Detection of Gravitational Waves (2015)
Exoplanet Discoveries (2000s)
Gene Therapy Successes (2000s)
Advancements in Artificial Intelligence (2010s)s.
Thank you, Bing. John Horgan's opinion that we pretty well knew it all back in 1996 looks like an extrapolation of optimism bias into absurdity. Worse, the thought that "we" know is delusional. "We" consists of individuals each of whom understands a little piece of what there is to know. The more "we" know, the more unlikely it is that anyone can be a comprehensive generalist, knowing much about most things. Trust those who confess their profound ignorance. They are telling the truth.
I wasn't sure I was right about that, so I Googled it. I found a paper entitled "the evolutionary improbability of generalism in nature", with 144 citations to studies about everything from aphids to primates to some things I can't pronounce like Medyodachtylus kotschyi geckos. Why would homo sapiens be any different?
To be quite sure, I read this article about the Muon Mystery. Now I'm quite sure that I don't know much about anything.
Trust me. I'm ignorant.
Hi Dennis,
ReplyDeleteToday I listened to a speaker from the Perimeter Institute. She talked about AI and some of the developments and off-shoots that have emerged and what might yet be. My response is simply, "WOW".
Keep writing, Dennis.
John B
The first thought that comes to me i just how much empahsis "we" put on the knowledge of facts. Pretty much all these advancements had to do with the discovery of new facts or processes about how those facts function. What we appear to lack are some basic interpersonal skills that are absolutely essential if we're to make it through some of the major messes we're in. Skills like cooperation, cmpromise, productive communication (i;e; mostlly genuine listening) diplomacy (some of the real kind; not just making nice for the photo-op). How to put teams of diverse knowledge and skills together and then how to get them to work; ensure the shy expert speaks up and the bully who really doesn't know the most on this particular topic shuts up and lets someone else have the floor.. I think that skill is called "facilitation.""
ReplyDeleteYou can offer up websites til the cows come home with expert opinions of about every fact and opinion, even many with the self-evident solution fot any problem you care to name from climate change to homelessness to gun control to opyoids, but without some of those "soft skills" we're doomed.
Where do you see these being taught or valued?
I'm with you there, Marion. As I wrote this note, I had in mind the virtue of humility. We don't see much of that in world leaders. I was also thinking of Trust, Empathy, and Compassion, to go with the Humility. Then there's Respect, Restraint and Reciprocity, the three Rs. Also Grace, Gratitude and Generosity, the three Gs. A curriculum for a degree in being human.
DeleteAmen
ReplyDelete