Comments on: Zen and the Art of Global Maintenance http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/zen-and-the-art-of-global-maintenance.html Science Blog from Freelance Science Writer David Bradley Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:41:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/zen-and-the-art-of-global-maintenance.html/comment-page-1#comment-527196 David Bradley Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:57:31 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=1906#comment-527196 @Sheryl Of course in tech speak that would be science++ in the same way that web 2.0 should really have been web++ There are so many cranks and quacks out there, but it's generally easy to spot them because they make the biggest, most ludicrous claims, whereas the real mavericks (like Newton, like Einstein, like Schrodinger) worked insidiously triggering a (r)evolution from within building on years of genuine work. @Sheryl Of course in tech speak that would be science++ in the same way that web 2.0 should really have been web++

There are so many cranks and quacks out there, but it’s generally easy to spot them because they make the biggest, most ludicrous claims, whereas the real mavericks (like Newton, like Einstein, like Schrodinger) worked insidiously triggering a (r)evolution from within building on years of genuine work.

]]> By: Sheryl Torr-Brown http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/zen-and-the-art-of-global-maintenance.html/comment-page-1#comment-527195 Sheryl Torr-Brown Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:53:53 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=1906#comment-527195 I might not be able to resist a bit of a blog on this subject myself. I found Andrew Sun's response interesting but I only agreed with some of it. I think for science to advance you have to go beyond it which means science=science+. The science+ might be considered non-science for a while at least, until we either find enough evidence to explain it and sweep it into the 'real science' bucket, or refute it and place it in the quackery bucket (until some brave soul drags it out at a later date when our technology advances enough to have another go). I might not be able to resist a bit of a blog on this subject myself. I found Andrew Sun’s response interesting but I only agreed with some of it. I think for science to advance you have to go beyond it which means science=science+. The science+ might be considered non-science for a while at least, until we either find enough evidence to explain it and sweep it into the ‘real science’ bucket, or refute it and place it in the quackery bucket (until some brave soul drags it out at a later date when our technology advances enough to have another go).

]]> By: Andrew Sun http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/zen-and-the-art-of-global-maintenance.html/comment-page-1#comment-522505 Andrew Sun Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:35:43 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=1906#comment-522505 Ironically I don't appreciate the so called 'eastern philosophy' very much. It is little or no evidence based. And I should point out that the post-Newtonian view of world mentioned by Alexander should be still western. Eastern philosophy as I know is quite another thing, although it includes some inverted logical thinking. Most if not all assertions in the eastern philosophy are arbitrary and imaginary (because they belong to the thoughts of ancient people). And the development of modern physics into this kind of 'logic' only prove that the western way of thinking is equally if not more able to come to this state finally, and in an evidence-based version. TCM for example only helps modern medicine faster overcome the obstacles of complexity by, at most, providing some clues among a sea of fake our out dated ancient description. The cyclic observation-explanation-prediction rote of modern science is not the convention or interest exclusively of the west. But may I re-interpret that cycle we are talking about as: experiment-induction-hypothesis-deduction-experiment cycle? This is not any nation's own interest, but is for the sake of the reliability of knowledge. We (all human beings) now agree that knowledge is the most reliable it can be if it is the product of such cycle. If anytime we doubt about the reliability, a modification of the cycle or a new kind of cycle is expected no matter from the east or the west. Currently we are well satisfied with this version of cycle. That's why people don't rely on TCM or 'alternative treatments'. I believe even with the help of eastern philosophy, physics could still not bypass the Newtonian age, could it? And surely without the help of eastern philosophy, physics reaches the Einstein and Quantum age, automatically. Ironically I don’t appreciate the so called ‘eastern philosophy’ very much. It is little or no evidence based. And I should point out that the post-Newtonian view of world mentioned by Alexander should be still western. Eastern philosophy as I know is quite another thing, although it includes some inverted logical thinking. Most if not all assertions in the eastern philosophy are arbitrary and imaginary (because they belong to the thoughts of ancient people). And the development of modern physics into this kind of ‘logic’ only prove that the western way of thinking is equally if not more able to come to this state finally, and in an evidence-based version. TCM for example only helps modern medicine faster overcome the obstacles of complexity by, at most, providing some clues among a sea of fake our out dated ancient description.

The cyclic observation-explanation-prediction rote of modern science is not the convention or interest exclusively of the west. But may I re-interpret that cycle we are talking about as: experiment-induction-hypothesis-deduction-experiment cycle? This is not any nation’s own interest, but is for the sake of the reliability of knowledge. We (all human beings) now agree that knowledge is the most reliable it can be if it is the product of such cycle. If anytime we doubt about the reliability, a modification of the cycle or a new kind of cycle is expected no matter from the east or the west. Currently we are well satisfied with this version of cycle. That’s why people don’t rely on TCM or ‘alternative treatments’.

I believe even with the help of eastern philosophy, physics could still not bypass the Newtonian age, could it? And surely without the help of eastern philosophy, physics reaches the Einstein and Quantum age, automatically.

]]> By: David Bradley http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/zen-and-the-art-of-global-maintenance.html/comment-page-1#comment-522243 David Bradley Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:32:31 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=1906#comment-522243 Sheryl, I know Mark, but I've not read his book, I shamefully admit. I shall seek it out. If you intend to blog about the paper, I can send you the PDF, drop me a line by email. Sheryl, I know Mark, but I’ve not read his book, I shamefully admit. I shall seek it out. If you intend to blog about the paper, I can send you the PDF, drop me a line by email.

]]> By: Sheryl Torr-Brown http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/zen-and-the-art-of-global-maintenance.html/comment-page-1#comment-521884 Sheryl Torr-Brown Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:07:04 +0000 http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/?p=1906#comment-521884 Great post. Have you also seen Ubiquity by Mark Buchanan that extends observations on instability through the scientific lens to non-linearity to markets, and human behavior. From what you say of Alexander's piece, I'm not convinced green economics will change the view of Wall Street for example but I am intrigued enough to go and find the article to read more. I do think Western economics is on the verge of evolution due to many attributes of the current age, not least the transparency and ubiquity of information, and that may be what Alexander is sensing. Great post. Have you also seen Ubiquity by Mark Buchanan that extends observations on instability through the scientific lens to non-linearity to markets, and human behavior. From what you say of Alexander’s piece, I’m not convinced green economics will change the view of Wall Street for example but I am intrigued enough to go and find the article to read more. I do think Western economics is on the verge of evolution due to many attributes of the current age, not least the transparency and ubiquity of information, and that may be what Alexander is sensing.

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