Lecture 11 The discovery of ignorance
Scientific political and economic revolution has happened in the last few hundred years
During years 1000-1500 not much change 1500-200 vast changes
How did these changes come about? why now
500 years ago people did not consider science and technology as a serious subject of study.
Nowadays science produces value worth investment and gives returns in improvements and money.
In the past cosmology was important but based on thought and ancient knowledge not experiment.
Modern science recognises ignorance and that it is important to experiment and observe how things work using mathematics to create models.
This discovery of ignorance was important. In the past scriptures were considered contain all knowledge.
1. Admitting ignorance We do not know everything. in the past ask higher authority things we did not know was either unimportant or what we should not know i.e. evil.
2. Observation, measurement and creating theories based on mathematics and statistics.
In the past mathematics was esoteric. studies were rhetoric and logic and writings
3. Innovations in the past used to come from slow improvements of current technologies and designs.
Armies fought using similar technologies only determination and organisation (romans) prevailed.
Segment 3 12-3Lesson11_Segment3.The Discovery of Ignorance.mp4
Poverty was considered as an inescapable fact of life in the past.
Now it is considered to be a solvable problem
Social poverty shortage of opportunities
Biological poverty starvation and lack of protection from the environment (housing)
Nowadays all sorts of protections and reliefs exist to help more people
Death used to be taken for granted nowadays although it is still inevitable great efforts are made to prevent it.
People die because of various bodily failures and diseases.
The Gilgamesh project is defeating death. Death is a technical problem/
Amortality the prolongation of active life with few limits.
life expectancy is increasing rapidly worldwide.
Segment 4 12-4Lesson11_Segment4.The Discovery of Ignorance.mp4
Science is seen a progress leading to a heaven on earth Not true!
Life is more complicated than this. Economics and politics have a lot to say about what can be done.
Most science that receives funding is dependant on the “value” of what can come out of it
Resources are always limited Choices are ethical questions i.e. what is “good”
Science itself cannot set its own priorities in this environment. for example
How should we use use genetics? different organisations and political ideologies will think very differently about this.
Two forces have shaped the development of science in the past. European Imperialism and the Capitalist economy.
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