They are
diametrically opposite! What follows is a remarkable thought by me on variable
novelty that explains rise and fall of Vedic India, ancient Iran, ancient Egypt,
ancient Greece, Rome etc, their downfall and the success today of Cubans in Miami,
Indians and Chinese in silicon valley. Principle thesis is identification of
the synthesis of scientific manager and his value but view businesses evolving
by striped evolution similar to, but
distinct from, punctuated evolution, the stripes being engineering and science.
Biggest
learn from the essay is development of compensation mechanisms for the
non-engineers essential for progress but largely failures.
Knowledge is
the gold that oil was in the last century. Given any unfamiliar field, it can
be posited that it will be a graph, largely dag like. It can be traversed depth
first DFT or breath first BFT. DFT is chasing explanations till they are in the
known language. BFT is understanding of the width of the field in terms of concepts
not properly understood. To illustrate what I am talking about, I consider
ageing research, surely of interest to all no matter how skeptic (quest easily
goes back 5000 years, why now?). In order to proceed, I will prefer the
engineer/manager/politician BFS, only deal with relevant science.
Relevancy
sharply separates the engineer and scientist. The engineer seeks relevancy to
the problem which must have an economic value. The scientist relevancy is only
to solution of the problem at hand or in the field, independent of economic
value. Per force, scientist is DFT while engineer/manager/politician if BFT.
The
distinction is clear in related fields like music and cinema. There are a vast
number of scientists that understand some aspects quite well DFT or somewhat of
all BFT, But there can only be a few
winners! It matters not how competition works as long as it is largely genuine!
There have to be good winners and losers who do their best to win but do not!
Insecure immigrants are willing to work for low pay anjd hard to rise, as
compared to locals. Only some immigrant are successful, but proportionally more
than established. Novelty is not just good, but required to rise! Explains Cubans
to silicon valley. Why else would large army of scientists be available at low
pay? Because that is the only way forward!
]
Chase of
novelty is crucial to understand rise and fall of civilizations. Novelty
seeking phase marks the rise, most novelties are counterproductive, but not all
are and this is the only way to rise. Experience indicates that past proves the
value of one sort of novelty which is self-defeating. Novelties are rarely
good, only when they are usually good, the civilization rises. When most are
unproductive, civilization suffers.
Enter the
OIE who explain the glorious past in a contemptuous language utterly unsuitable
for novelty!
USA history can
be divided into phases in which certain innovations were useful to all,
spreading by communities, tightly knit. Sub communities form, it explains sub
castes and trade driven last names. The stature of the sub caste waxes and
wanes.
To argue the
relative importance of DFT and BFT is stupid. Ideally, they proceed in parallel. The conversion of science to engineering is
timed process. Given that every engineering is basis of next science and vice versa,
it follows that progression is exponential! Further, forward prediction is very
hard! Only some fields are exponential, most others are not and very
predictable.
Science proceeds
by large pool of brights performing experiments (playing art) under the mistaken assumption
that they will succeed like the best. Engineering is far more equitable and
benefits the class.
