Re: What's So New in a Newfangled Science?

From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Mon Jun 17 2002 - 13:20:37 MDT


On Sunday, June 16, 2002, at 08:13 pm, Mike Lorrey wrote:

> I don't think he's trying to propose that the science is new

Umm, Mike, the title of the book is "A New Kind of Science".... :-)

It's pretty clear from his own writing that he does indeed propose that
he single-handedly invented a whole new kind of science.

As for all the comments about hatchet reporters and jealous scientists,
I don't think this is the case at all. There are a lot of serious
reviews available. (Thanks to scerir and Jef for posting links!) Most
scientists aren't rejecting this as too radical. Most of them are
saying there is little new in the book, and that these ideas are already
being discussed in mainstream science. While Wolfram was being
reclusive and trying to invent his own stuff for a decade or two, he may
have been left behind by mainstream science that has already been
investigating these "new" ideas.

I am doubtful of any reclusive loner who wants to work on their own
theories and can't take time to keep up with the state of the art. The
same forces that are pushing the advancement of technology worldwide
ever faster toward the singularity are the same forces making it less
and less likely that a single individual could ever keep up or even
duplicate what universities, corporations, militaries and governments
are already working together to create.

--
Harvey Newstrom, CISSP <www.HarveyNewstrom.com>
Principal Security Consultant <www.Newstaff.com>


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