Comments on: Imagine If Quantum Mechanics Ceases To Be So Esoteric? http://orbitchange.com/blog/2007/03/22/qm/ Sharad Sharma examines the transformation challenges facing the software industry Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:47:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Ravi Aranke http://orbitchange.com/blog/2007/03/22/qm/#comment-1351 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 16:40:34 +0000 http://orbitchange.com/blog/2007/03/22/qm/#comment-1351 Sharad, I would love to believe that scientific ideas change social structure. Change in social structure is a complex problem with a lot of interacting variables. The weakening of Church's influence could be related to Heliocentric theory, or - it could be related to a number of things that industrial revolution brought on such as printing press. The Freakonomics book and the recent controversy over its findings ( e.g. http://www.isteve.com/abortion.htm) show how exceedingly difficult it is to pinpoint causes of social changes to a single isolated reason. Another example is the latest book 'The halo effect' http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Effect-Business-Delusions-Managers/dp/0743291255/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7160545-5955805?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174927048&sr=8-1 which casts a critical eye on such revered management texts as 'Good to Great' and 'Built to Last'. As a skeptic, I love these :) As a science fan, I would love to believe scientific ideas have significance in average Joe's life. Cheers, Ravi Sharad,

I would love to believe that scientific ideas change social structure.

Change in social structure is a complex problem with a lot of interacting variables.

The weakening of Church’s influence could be related to Heliocentric theory, or - it could be related to a number of things that industrial revolution brought on such as printing press.

The Freakonomics book and the recent controversy over its findings (
e.g. http://www.isteve.com/abortion.htm) show how exceedingly difficult it is to pinpoint causes of social changes to a single isolated reason.

Another example is the latest book ‘The halo effect’
http://www.amazon.com/Halo-Effect-Business-Delusions-Managers/dp/0743291255/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7160545-5955805?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174927048&sr=8-1
which casts a critical eye on such revered management texts as ‘Good to Great’ and ‘Built to Last’.

As a skeptic, I love these :)
As a science fan, I would love to believe scientific ideas have significance in average Joe’s life.

Cheers,
Ravi

]]> by: Sharad Sharma http://orbitchange.com/blog/2007/03/22/qm/#comment-1336 Sun, 25 Mar 2007 16:47:00 +0000 http://orbitchange.com/blog/2007/03/22/qm/#comment-1336 Ravi – You are right that technology changes social structure. But to assume that scientific ideas don't do that is a big fallacy. Why else would there be a big quarrel about the theory of evolution even today? Back in the 16th century, heliocentric theory helped weaken the Church eventually setting the stage of the Reformation and the ensuing Protestant movement. Arguably the current egalitarian culture in Western society is based on these changes. Otherwise an entrenched class system would still be in place. I could go on but need to run to catch a flight :-) Ravi – You are right that technology changes social structure. But to assume that scientific ideas don’t do that is a big fallacy. Why else would there be a big quarrel about the theory of evolution even today? Back in the 16th century, heliocentric theory helped weaken the Church eventually setting the stage of the Reformation and the ensuing Protestant movement. Arguably the current egalitarian culture in Western society is based on these changes. Otherwise an entrenched class system would still be in place. I could go on but need to run to catch a flight :-)

]]> by: Ravi Aranke http://orbitchange.com/blog/2007/03/22/qm/#comment-1335 Sun, 25 Mar 2007 16:08:58 +0000 http://orbitchange.com/blog/2007/03/22/qm/#comment-1335 Sharad, <i> On a deeper note, what if QM ceases to be so esoteric? Might it not then have a social impact much like much like Copernicus’ heliocentric theory and theory of evolution? </i> What social impact has the Copernicus' theory had? Sure, school kids can quote that Earth goes round the Sun etc. But I doubt it has changed any of our behavior and thinking. Same goes for Theory of Evolution. We might theoretically understand that our bodies evolved during the time when there was scarcity of food and hence they tend to store fat as survival tactic. That's not been much help to us in fighting obesity. Science enables technology innovation which changes our social structure e.g. cars changed the structure of cities and human societies. However, to say that scientific ideas and understanding of scientific ideas has wider social impact is wishful thinking. Sharad,


On a deeper note, what if QM ceases to be so esoteric? Might it not then have a social impact much like much like Copernicus’ heliocentric theory and theory of evolution?

What social impact has the Copernicus’ theory had? Sure, school kids can quote that Earth goes round the Sun etc. But I doubt it has changed any of our behavior and thinking.

Same goes for Theory of Evolution. We might theoretically understand that our bodies evolved during the time when there was scarcity of food and hence they tend to store fat as survival tactic. That’s not been much help to us in fighting obesity.

Science enables technology innovation which changes our social structure e.g. cars changed the structure of cities and human societies. However, to say that scientific ideas and understanding of scientific ideas has wider social impact is wishful thinking.

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