Robotics Reference
In-Depth Information
haps “sub-sub-sub-division”. And the exponential increase in scientific
knowledge during the twentieth century was accompanied by a dramatic
reduction in the typical interval between the announcement of theo-
retical discoveries and their practical application. For example, Ehud
Shapiro's work on DNA computing made advances in only two years
that his research group had expected to take ten.
Amongst the factors leading to an increase in the rate of scientific dis-
coveries is the “size” of science, which has doubled steadily every 15 years.
(In a century this means a factor of 100.) John Ziman has estimated that
for every single scientific paper or scientist in 1670, there were approxi-
mately 100 in 1770, 10,000 in 1870 and 1,000,000 in 1970. In biology
it has been said that knowledge is doubling every six months. In oceanog-
raphy the advent and capabilities of nuclear-powered submarines “have
enabled an exponential increase in scientific knowledge about the Arc-
tic Ocean”, according to Rear Admiral Paul Gaffney, the Chief of U.S.
Naval Research. Similar statistics are bandied about from many different
scientific disciplines.
Various reasons suggest themselves as contributing to the causes of
this exponential growth in our scientific knowledge and our understand-
ing of technology. Firstly, there is the growth in the number of scien-
tists and technicians in the world. A century ago these occupations were
viewed by many as unusual or even eccentric, whereas nowadays they
are perfectly normal occupations for growing numbers of people. An-
other reason for the exponential growth in knowledge is that those who
are interested in science and technology have at their disposal the means
for rapid research—the Internet. The World Wide Web allows us to re-
search almost any topic in depth from the comfort of our own homes
and offices. In addition, there are many excellent libraries that provide
access to printed or electronic versions of the latest technology journals,
and e-mail makes it possible to contact almost any scientist in the world
instantly and almost for free—many of them reply promptly to sensible
questions about their research and publications.
Given all the advantages that exist for today's technologists and re-
searchers relative to those of earlier generations, it is perhaps natural to
question whether the exponential growth of scientific knowledge is defi-
nitely beneficial for mankind. There are many in our world who bemoan
such rapid progress and who yearn for the days of yesteryear when life
was lived at a much slower pace. What are the arguments for and against
progress this rapid?
