Comments on: Biweekly links for 12/29/2008 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/biweekly-links-for-12292008/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:56:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Gideon Burton http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/biweekly-links-for-12292008/comment-page-1/#comment-16922 Gideon Burton Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:48:52 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=525#comment-16922 John, thanks for your thoughts on differences in changes to education across disciplines. As I'm in the humanities, I wrestle with your final question most (though I'm trying to track other disciplines, too). See my series on changes to humanities publishing (http://tinyurl.com/7w3p3a). I'd like to know what you mean, though, by advances making "model-based engineering orders-of-magnitude more effective." John, thanks for your thoughts on differences in changes to education across disciplines. As I’m in the humanities, I wrestle with your final question most (though I’m trying to track other disciplines, too). See my series on changes to humanities publishing (http://tinyurl.com/7w3p3a). I’d like to know what you mean, though, by advances making “model-based engineering orders-of-magnitude more effective.”

]]> By: John Sidles http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/biweekly-links-for-12292008/comment-page-1/#comment-16636 John Sidles Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:19:27 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=525#comment-16636 That Academic Evolution link is wonderful. It seems to me that there is a hierarchy of revolution. <b>Mathematics:</b> no revolution ... the business of mathematics has been and remains theorem-proving. <b>Physical science:</b> modest revolution ... the business of physical science is to discover basic physical laws, of which we now know plenty. <b>Engineering:</b> radical revolution ... advances in mathematics and physical science have made model-based engineering orders-of-magnitude more effective, both as a radically effective technical tool and as an even <i>more</i> radically effective social tool. <b>Humanities:</b> revolution so profound as to threaten complete academic collapse ... what the heck are the academic humanities nowadays, anyway? That Academic Evolution link is wonderful.

It seems to me that there is a hierarchy of revolution.

Mathematics: no revolution … the business of mathematics has been and remains theorem-proving.

Physical science: modest revolution … the business of physical science is to discover basic physical laws, of which we now know plenty.

Engineering: radical revolution … advances in mathematics and physical science have made model-based engineering orders-of-magnitude more effective, both as a radically effective technical tool and as an even more radically effective social tool.

Humanities: revolution so profound as to threaten complete academic collapse … what the heck are the academic humanities nowadays, anyway?

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