What Have You Changed Your Mind About? [1]

[2]
Paul Kedrosky
[ Mon. Dec. 31. 2007 ]

This year's Big Question at Edge from John Brockman, et al., is this, What have you changed your mind about? This is, at least, an interesting question, so I'll start by saying that what I've changed my mind about is whether, in general, the Edge's annual question is worth reading. Okay, sometimes it is.

That said, are any specific answers to this year's Big Question worth reading? Somewhat surprisingly, yes. Granted, some of the answers are just wankery, scientists and others saying that they used to think we wouldn't solve Problem X, and now they think we will, someday, etc. Or, worse yet, there is a passel of up-with-the-environment puffery, where the previously unconverted become carbon holy-rollers. ...

Here are a couple worth reading. Feel free to add more.

Economist Dan Kahneman [5] on the aspiration treadmill
Clay Shirky
[6] on science and religion
Nassim Taleb
[7] on .... nothing (okay, incomplete, but I still like the semiotic pun)...

Weight: 

1