JohannaK
Heroically Clueless
J.G. Ballard is already dead, but he had some interesting stories.
Which Book Are You Reading Now? Volume XII
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Kozmos
Jew Detective
KGB in the Third World by Mithrokhin and Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware by Andy Hunt.
SS-18 ICBM
Oscillator
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 3rd edition, by Thomas Kuhn differentiates between two kinds of scientific progress, as in that quote from SMAC. Normal science is the use of the current paradigm to solve scientific puzzles. Anomalies that don't fit such paradigms eventually lead to crises, which are resolved by the shifts in paradigm in so-called scientific revolutions. These paradigms are frameworks that structure scientific inquiry which are often incommensurable with each other as different ways of viewing the world. Thus, older paradigms are replace by newer ones, which leads to a sense of progress in the scientific world.
This edition contains a post-script dated 1969 which responds to many of the criticisms made about the work, some of which I picked up on. Particular forms of paradigms are specific to communities, which includes sub-fields. This explains the field of epigenetics for me, which does not invalidate the other fields of genetics but is still a different framework of how to explain genetic regulation. Kuhn also acknowledges the anecdotal survey made in the book using only the Copernican, Newtonian, Daltonian, and Maxwellian revolutions. He recognizes the need for a more detailed survey of scientific communities to better strengthen the notion of paradigm.
However, the book never answers why is it that science progresses through the mechanism laid out in the book. Maybe this is beyond the scope of what Kuhn intended. Nevertheless, it is an important issue to ponder.
This edition contains a post-script dated 1969 which responds to many of the criticisms made about the work, some of which I picked up on. Particular forms of paradigms are specific to communities, which includes sub-fields. This explains the field of epigenetics for me, which does not invalidate the other fields of genetics but is still a different framework of how to explain genetic regulation. Kuhn also acknowledges the anecdotal survey made in the book using only the Copernican, Newtonian, Daltonian, and Maxwellian revolutions. He recognizes the need for a more detailed survey of scientific communities to better strengthen the notion of paradigm.
However, the book never answers why is it that science progresses through the mechanism laid out in the book. Maybe this is beyond the scope of what Kuhn intended. Nevertheless, it is an important issue to ponder.
Terxpahseyton
Nobody
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Well presumably because even a community like the scientific community is unable to intentionally steer the scientific ship, and instead that steering is done by social group dynamics, embodied in those paradigms. i.e. I do what others do or I am a crazy weirdo and nobody wants to play with me. Being this intention-lacking social machinery, any fundamental change to those paradigms is beyond decision, and requires a collective, more or less spontaneous, event, to get triggered. And then it goes relatively abruptly and creative-destructive.
So basically the scientific community isn't that different than the Egyptian street mob, on a social organizational level.
Which brings us to the old conclusion: People suck in organizing themselves in groups where they do not know each other personally. Hence the dashing success of rigid hierarchies in politics and economics. But of course we do not want that in science.
However, as a great article I once read on science noted, using rigid hierarchies in specific research efforts can be highly effective to motivate scientists to do something useful. As the US military demonstrated, whose projects given to scientists have a decent track record of results.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
I'm slowly making my way through Peter F. Hamilton's Pandora's Star
It rained and it got wet but it should survive
It rained and it got wet but it should survive
Currently reading Blood Music by Greg Bear.
Very unnerving.
Very unnerving.
SS-18 ICBM
Oscillator
The Weapon Wizards by Yaakov Katz and Amir Bohbot talks about innovation in the Israeli military. A little too much chest-thumping about Israel about my taste. Apparently Israel invented drones, even though the US was already employing UAVs around the time of the Tonkin incident, when the IAF was still playing around with cameras attached to literal toy planes. The book also celebrates the "informality" created by the IDF in Israeli society. Those who have experienced being with Israeli tourists often use stronger words to describe it...
Ecclesiastes. Very brief book. He who throws down a wall shall be beaten by a snake.
I like the unintentionally comedic 'commentary' on some current greek versions (original text is from the ptolemaic era). Eg: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity", is accompanied by "apart from faith in god". Ok
I like the unintentionally comedic 'commentary' on some current greek versions (original text is from the ptolemaic era). Eg: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity", is accompanied by "apart from faith in god". Ok
sophie
Break My Heart
Been working my way through Romance of the Three Kingdoms on my breaks at work. I'm about 2/3 of the way through vol. II right now. Absolutely one of my favorite books, and, despite having read it numerous times already, I'm seeing it in a totally new light this time. It's just an absolute joy to read.
I'm also reading The Aeneid, bk 1 and Hobbitus Ille for some Latin reading and Quatrevingt-Treize for French. And on occasion I've been listening to Mansfield Park in German during the long monotonous tasks I have assigned me at work.
I'm also reading The Aeneid, bk 1 and Hobbitus Ille for some Latin reading and Quatrevingt-Treize for French. And on occasion I've been listening to Mansfield Park in German during the long monotonous tasks I have assigned me at work.
If you're looking for a fresh post-apocalyptic story, I'm reading one from a first time author that worth the time.
The Curse of Life by Brayton Cole. A 500 page epic about a young girl with interesting abilities base on a long term breeding program that didn't quite work out. For a first from the author, not a classic, but definitely worth a look with some interesting characters.
The Curse of Life by Brayton Cole. A 500 page epic about a young girl with interesting abilities base on a long term breeding program that didn't quite work out. For a first from the author, not a classic, but definitely worth a look with some interesting characters.
Azem.Ocram
King
New York 2140 by award winning Kim Stanley Robinson
I love Science Fiction and this is a harder, more near future book than I typically read.
I love Science Fiction and this is a harder, more near future book than I typically read.
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
the tl;dr for both is "everyone dies horribly".
sophie
Break My Heart
Book 4 of the Henkerstochter series: Der Hexer und die Henkerstochter arrived in the mail yesterday! Pretty excited about that
JohannaK
Heroically Clueless
It's the best book in the series. It would have stayed better as a standalone, but maybe it is just me. They're all good books anyway.
sophie
Break My Heart
Who are you talking to?
JohannaK
Heroically Clueless
Ah, sorry, I meant TF.
SS-18 ICBM
Oscillator
Investment: A History by Norton Reamer and Jesse Downing is a US-centric survey of the history of finance. The main thesis is of the democratization of investment, somewhat overstated considering the working classes barely have any investable assets.
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