Re: [ontolog-forum] memory loss

[Pavithra <pavithra_kenjige@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dr.  Sowa,

 

First of all, I am surprised that you wrote the following the way you have!  I assume that there is more to it, than how I read it..

 

Without using any theories, let me answer it my way:

 

-   There are persistent, detrimental problems in every stage of life, in every age that make life /living difficult.   (in stone age, iron age, bronze age..... Obama age.. etc..)

 

-   Any invention or discovery to ease that would make a difference.   

 

Example: 

-    Invention of wheels ( I am sure that many people struggled to lift and move heavy objects for many centuries before the invention..  )

 

- The concept of vaccine..

 

-   take the instance of "Black death",  the  information regarding  the cause, and prevention could save entire population!

 

- The vaccine for H1N1

 

- The cause and prevention of Tsunami..   ( i kind of know the cause.. )

 

- Digital era,  Wireless & mobile devices..  

 

 

- At present,  balancing between environmental related issues and land usage and food supply ( 2009 economics Nobel literate theme..)

 

etc..

 

From a layman management perspective, I would make a list of all the current persistent problems of this world, which has great re-precautions ...  and if anyone finds the cause or solution, I would think those are the ones ... 

 

What are measurement criteria used.. ??  People who select Nobel prize would know the criteria, wouldn't they? 

 

Regards,

Pavithra

 

 

 

--- On Mon, 10/12/09, John F. Sowa <sowa@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: John F. Sowa <sowa@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [ontolog-forum] memory loss
To: "[ontolog-forum]" <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Monday, October 12, 2009, 3:14 PM

Randall et al.,

That may be true, but...

RRS> My only point was that it doesn't take many individuals
> to advance an entire population.

The big caveats are

  1. Nobody knows which ones will make the advance.

  2. Nobody knows which advances are critical.

  3. Nobody even knows which *kinds* of advances will be
     the most critical for the overall benefit.

  4. People who make such estimates tend to overestimate
     their preferred kinds of advances and to underestimate
     advances that are made in areas other than the ones
     they happen to focus on.

For example, how would anyone evaluate the following?

  1. A hunter-gatherer who notices that more nuts and
     grains tend to grow in places where the lost crumbs
     from previous meals had fallen?

  2. An early hominid mother who spent more time grunting
     and pointing with her babies, who later learned how
     to communicate better with the tribe?

  3. A tribe that noticed the tubers next to the fire were
     tastier than the ones they ate cold.

  4. A merchant who traded the tribe's surplus grain for
     another tribe's surplus cutting stones.

  5. The stargazers who named the constellations, the
     farmers who used them as guides for planting, and
     the travelers who used them as guides across the
     desert or the sea.

  6. The hunters who brought home enough game so that the
     elders of the tribe could pass along their wisdom
     to the children.

  7. The Egyptian priests who inducted Pythagoras into the
     priesthood and taught him their mathematical secrets.

  8. The blacksmith who invented a new kind of stirrup that
     made travel on horseback more efficient.

  9. The storytellers who passed along detail about all of
     the above in addition to their tales about heroes.

10. The people who fed and clothed all of the above so that
     they had the time and energy to make their "advances".

Instead of saying that 1% of the people make the advances,
I'd be more inclined to say that a very large percentage
of the population contribute to advances that have been
discovered, forgotten, and rediscovered many times over
the millennia.

Furthermore, I'd also mention the significant number who
have *negative* effects on the tribe by laziness and
disruption.  But then, it's often hard to distinguish
some of the laziness and disruption from some of the
greatest advances.

John


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