Comments on: Communication can stunt innovation http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/communication-can-stunt-innovation/ Mon, 07 May 2012 21:35:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Pedro Beltrao http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/communication-can-stunt-innovation/comment-page-1/#comment-11796 Pedro Beltrao Fri, 23 May 2008 18:39:45 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=404#comment-11796 We might be too limited as individuals to grasp any significant portion of what we already know. We have increased the pace of research by specialization and there is typically many more people working within a field than those serving as bridges. One thing that is improving tremendously is our capacity to find and dig into a part of knowledge that is new to us as individuals. This could in this context as problematic as knowing. If I am faced with a problem to solve I will typically search for the current solutions or best directions for solving this problem. If there is a better solution at the end of a totally different direction then I might not try it.I wonder if this could be tested by machine learning or some type of model (different agents, search accuracy ,etc). We might be too limited as individuals to grasp any significant portion of what we already know. We have increased the pace of research by specialization and there is typically many more people working within a field than those serving as bridges.
One thing that is improving tremendously is our capacity to find and dig into a part of knowledge that is new to us as individuals. This could in this context as problematic as knowing. If I am faced with a problem to solve I will typically search for the current solutions or best directions for solving this problem. If there is a better solution at the end of a totally different direction then I might not try it.I wonder if this could be tested by machine learning or some type of model (different agents, search accuracy ,etc).

]]> By: Jean-Claude Bradley http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/communication-can-stunt-innovation/comment-page-1/#comment-11786 Jean-Claude Bradley Fri, 23 May 2008 09:02:44 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=404#comment-11786 In my experience the biggest problem with sharing scientific information is the risk that someone will attack an idea out of spite or just reflexive competitiveness. What is interesting about about the current self-selected group involved in Open Science is that the vast majority have proven to be very supportive. The cynical ones are too busy hoarding their data to explore the blogosphere :) In my experience the biggest problem with sharing scientific information is the risk that someone will attack an idea out of spite or just reflexive competitiveness.

What is interesting about about the current self-selected group involved in Open Science is that the vast majority have proven to be very supportive.

The cynical ones are too busy hoarding their data to explore the blogosphere :)

]]> By: Ben http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/communication-can-stunt-innovation/comment-page-1/#comment-11783 Ben Fri, 23 May 2008 06:28:10 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=404#comment-11783 Thanks, I will certainly have a look at it. The same idea that Pedro mentioned ("... there is no possible way for anyone to keep up... ") has been floating around in my head as well. At one level, I wonder if the level of global communication is now or might someday reach a point where overall creativity decreases along the lines of the thread here. If everyone could know everything that everyone else was thinking, we could end up getting stuck (sort of like we very nearly are already when it comes to the spread of diseases). Is it only our limited ability, as humans, to find and assimilate knowledge that will prevent this? Thanks, I will certainly have a look at it. The same idea that Pedro mentioned (“… there is no possible way for anyone to keep up… “) has been floating around in my head as well. At one level, I wonder if the level of global communication is now or might someday reach a point where overall creativity decreases along the lines of the thread here. If everyone could know everything that everyone else was thinking, we could end up getting stuck (sort of like we very nearly are already when it comes to the spread of diseases). Is it only our limited ability, as humans, to find and assimilate knowledge that will prevent this?

]]> By: Michael Nielsen http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/communication-can-stunt-innovation/comment-page-1/#comment-11776 Michael Nielsen Fri, 23 May 2008 02:41:41 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=404#comment-11776 Thanks for the comments and the link, Ben, very interesting indeed. If you enjoyed Surowiecki's book, you might also like Cass Sunstein's "Infotopia", which touches on similar topics. Thanks for the comments and the link, Ben, very interesting indeed. If you enjoyed Surowiecki’s book, you might also like Cass Sunstein’s “Infotopia”, which touches on similar topics.

]]> By: Michael Nielsen http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/communication-can-stunt-innovation/comment-page-1/#comment-11775 Michael Nielsen Fri, 23 May 2008 02:38:54 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=404#comment-11775 Thanks Jonathan - fixed! Thanks Jonathan – fixed!

]]> By: Jonathan Hunt http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/communication-can-stunt-innovation/comment-page-1/#comment-11772 Jonathan Hunt Fri, 23 May 2008 01:47:55 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=404#comment-11772 Interesting. Btw. Your link is pointing to access through uwaterloo.ca. The generic link is: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2008.00539.x Interesting.

Btw. Your link is pointing to access through uwaterloo.ca. The generic link is:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2008.00539.x

]]> By: Ben http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/communication-can-stunt-innovation/comment-page-1/#comment-11771 Ben Fri, 23 May 2008 01:44:45 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=404#comment-11771 This is another great example of a common theme in studies of the products of collaborative work. James Surowiecki's book 'The Wisdom of Crowds' touches on a number of very similar examples of this same pattern, highlighting the importance of avoid excessive communication during the early stages of group work. Its interesting that the phenomenon is clearly not limited to human interactions, you see it in more mathematical situations as well. For example, when constructing classifiers, some of the most effective techniques from machine learning succeed by finding ways to take advantage of a diversity of different sub-models - the more diverse the better. See e.g. bagging - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootstrap_aggregating . Without an opportunity for a diversity of ideas (or models or organisms) to develop, stagnation in local maxima seems to be the consequence. This is another great example of a common theme in studies of the products of collaborative work. James Surowiecki’s book ‘The Wisdom of Crowds’ touches on a number of very similar examples of this same pattern, highlighting the importance of avoid excessive communication during the early stages of group work.

Its interesting that the phenomenon is clearly not limited to human interactions, you see it in more mathematical situations as well. For example, when constructing classifiers, some of the most effective techniques from machine learning succeed by finding ways to take advantage of a diversity of different sub-models – the more diverse the better. See e.g. bagging – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootstrap_aggregating .

Without an opportunity for a diversity of ideas (or models or organisms) to develop, stagnation in local maxima seems to be the consequence.

]]> By: Bee http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/communication-can-stunt-innovation/comment-page-1/#comment-11764 Bee Thu, 22 May 2008 21:55:50 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=404#comment-11764 Interesting, thanks for the references! Interesting, thanks for the references!

]]> By: Pedro Beltrao http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/communication-can-stunt-innovation/comment-page-1/#comment-11758 Pedro Beltrao Thu, 22 May 2008 20:25:16 +0000 http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/?p=404#comment-11758 This is very interesting. I'll put in another possible factor to take into account is the costs associated with communication. Another reason for the distraction in a fully connected network could be the attention spent on the communication itself. Still, we are very far away from the Borg hive mind :), there is no possible way for anyone to keep up with all that is being developed in any given field so there is still a lot of room for originality. This is very interesting. I’ll put in another possible factor to take into account is the costs associated with communication. Another reason for the distraction in a fully connected network could be the attention spent on the communication itself.
Still, we are very far away from the Borg hive mind :) , there is no possible way for anyone to keep up with all that is being developed in any given field so there is still a lot of room for originality.

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