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These essays provide a fresh and intriguing look at today's frontiers in the sciences and humanities. Of the several dozen a few are introduced and reviewed here.
In the discussion about exponential growth, the Bruno Giussani writes that exponential change is a characteristic of this high-tech age but that the general public and most politicians don't appreciate rapid change ("we live in an exponential world …. while exponentiality is significant in the first half of the board [early stages of development], when we approach the second half its effects are enormous, things get crazy, and the acceleration eludes most humans' grasp.") (p. 115-116). Moreover, many social structures and systems as built today will either have to bend or break ("... we still live, for the most part, in a world that doesn't understand and isn't made for exponentiality." [in technological change, resource use, and migrations].
Interestingly, policymakers who look at historical context of their decisions will, if this exponential change continues, find their tasks even more difficult than in the past few decades. In " 'Evolve' as Metaphor" Victoria Wyatt writes people commonly associate evolution with progress. In the practical world, "A keen awareness of history is vital to intelligent decisionmaking" and "Recognizing current global challenges demands a different vision, one that acknowledges history and context." (p. 225-226).
So, looking first at the exponential change trend, then at decisionmaking based on accurate and specific past context, these ideas can also be seen in relation to a third essay. In "Premature Optimization" by Kevin Kelly, he writes that our 21st century world is rapidly changing with different types of peak fitness emerging and falling (speaking of a computer model for positive survival traits, or fitness: "Picture a world crammed with nearly vertical peaks, separated by deep valleys, rising and falling in response to each other …. a 'rugged landscape'. It's a perfect image of today's churning world." (p. 235-236). For an individual, group, a nation, or an alliance of nations to move from one peak fitness level to another sometimes the person, group, nation, or alliance must temporarily change its position and 'move' through a 'valley' where it is not as fit, strong, or stable, to then reach a new peak. This evolutionary or competitive model idea may describe certain corporate restructurings, reforms, social ferment, or in more extreme cases, a condition of sanctions, a fall back to neo-mercantilism, or even fighting in conditions which are temporarily not advantageous. As Mr. Kelly puts it: "Descent to a valley means an organism or organization must first become less fit, less optimal, less excellent before it can rise again. It must lower its mastery and its chance of survival and approach the valley of death. This is difficult for any species, organization, or individual. But the more successful an entity is, the harder it is to descend." (p. 236). There are certain strategies to make move from one area of peak fitness or strength to another more effective and faster. Knowledge and resilience are key (a willingness to have "patience and surrender to imperfection, inefficiency, and disorder"). In this essay about "Premature Optimization" it is probably true that an all-out effort to hold one's position, to be static, is not a winning strategy in a world where so many other 'peaks' and 'valleys' of fitness and success are changing (see also "The Fourth Turning" by William Strauss and Neil Howe: the origins of the "High" or leading generation involve a previous crisis). People and societies have to adapt and grow, some mistakes will occur in the process and have to be accepted. Maybe new exponential growth and knowledge attained will make up for the costs and losses that occur, or may occur, when people, companies, and societies move from one area of peak performance to another.
- Paperback: 544 pages
- Publisher: Harper Perennial (January 16, 2018)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 9780062698216
- ISBN-13: 978-0062698216
- ASIN: 0062698214
- Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.9 x 8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 22 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#79,299 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #466 in History & Philosophy of Science
- #497 in Cognitive Psychology (Books)
- #47 in Science Essays & Commentary (Books)
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