I agree with this. I am just getting into the ‘progress’ literature, and I find a lot of ideas with great practical value to me. That said, most seem to come from a very macro perspective. I’ve been working in the area of funding for 10 years and have made a lot of my own observations, almost all on the personal/relationship level. Things like shared culture/values are important because that can be what empowers people to take a leap together, and it’s especially magical when that culture (say of science) is shared among people who, in other aspects of their lives, do not share culture. Not sure there is a metric for that.
We need to talk more about pure, unadulterated human curiosity, generally summed up as the drive many (but not all) feel to ask and try to answer ‘how does our world work?’ There’s evidence that great scientists are low in the personality trait Agreeableness. So for those who promote the progress movement because of ‘advancing humanity’ (certainly a noble cause), how does that motivation empower a great scientist who ‘just’ wants to understand a physical process? Is it wrong that a person is not motivated by a social cause? If not, is it required that whoever is holding the purse strings assign an intended social benefit to the work?
How many progress studies involve speaking to researchers in longform interviews to hear what they need to do more/better and if the models being put forward jibe with their experiences? I welcome anyone pointing me towards work in this area, and I don’t mean this as a criticism of what’s been done. I think we need to build up other approaches at the same time this econ-based approach is developing. I’m willing to be part of doing that. I’m only about a week into reading so it will take some time to catch up before I can make any significant contribution, though I am also remembering to back grad school where the people studying the philosophy of science were some of the most intellectually intimidating people I ever met.
“Things like shared culture/values are important because that can be what empowers people to take a leap together, and it’s especially magical when that culture (say of science) is shared among people who, in other aspects of their lives, do not share culture.”
One dichotomy that might be useful is the distinction between invention and innovation.
Invention, as in the invention of the periodic table, the flying shuttle, and Euclidean geometry requires a set of conditions that foster freedom, unbridled curiosity, debate and play. Here taking a leap together to learn something new.
Innovation, as in taking an idea or invention and investing in it to make something real, profitable, or socially beneficial. Taking a leap together to get something done.
Not all progress comes from innovation, much of progress, perhaps even the most important types, come from invention and discovery. These are two sides of the same system, both necessary, like upper and lower teeth.
In the progress studies community, you can see this divide too. Some people are more purely interested in investigating how progress happens, others in making it happen. Two rows of teeth!
I agree with this. I am just getting into the ‘progress’ literature, and I find a lot of ideas with great practical value to me. That said, most seem to come from a very macro perspective. I’ve been working in the area of funding for 10 years and have made a lot of my own observations, almost all on the personal/relationship level. Things like shared culture/values are important because that can be what empowers people to take a leap together, and it’s especially magical when that culture (say of science) is shared among people who, in other aspects of their lives, do not share culture. Not sure there is a metric for that.
We need to talk more about pure, unadulterated human curiosity, generally summed up as the drive many (but not all) feel to ask and try to answer ‘how does our world work?’ There’s evidence that great scientists are low in the personality trait Agreeableness. So for those who promote the progress movement because of ‘advancing humanity’ (certainly a noble cause), how does that motivation empower a great scientist who ‘just’ wants to understand a physical process? Is it wrong that a person is not motivated by a social cause? If not, is it required that whoever is holding the purse strings assign an intended social benefit to the work?
How many progress studies involve speaking to researchers in longform interviews to hear what they need to do more/better and if the models being put forward jibe with their experiences? I welcome anyone pointing me towards work in this area, and I don’t mean this as a criticism of what’s been done. I think we need to build up other approaches at the same time this econ-based approach is developing. I’m willing to be part of doing that. I’m only about a week into reading so it will take some time to catch up before I can make any significant contribution, though I am also remembering to back grad school where the people studying the philosophy of science were some of the most intellectually intimidating people I ever met.
“Things like shared culture/values are important because that can be what empowers people to take a leap together, and it’s especially magical when that culture (say of science) is shared among people who, in other aspects of their lives, do not share culture.”
I’ve been thinking a lot about this recently. See for example the recent discussion on creating demand for innovation. https://progressforum.org/posts/RhYhhfQ3KTvKhEKF3/to-increase-progress-increase-desire
One dichotomy that might be useful is the distinction between invention and innovation.
Invention, as in the invention of the periodic table, the flying shuttle, and Euclidean geometry requires a set of conditions that foster freedom, unbridled curiosity, debate and play. Here taking a leap together to learn something new.
Innovation, as in taking an idea or invention and investing in it to make something real, profitable, or socially beneficial. Taking a leap together to get something done.
Not all progress comes from innovation, much of progress, perhaps even the most important types, come from invention and discovery. These are two sides of the same system, both necessary, like upper and lower teeth.
In the progress studies community, you can see this divide too. Some people are more purely interested in investigating how progress happens, others in making it happen. Two rows of teeth!