Discovery - Part 3

I discussed the concept of discovery in my first and second blog postings on the subject. I continue the concept in this posting further discussing discovery and the seafaring world.

As with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, we often associate discovery with discovering new territory, or, new worlds. A ship. An exploration. A discovery.

Hawaiian Chieftain under sail, Westport, Washington

The Hawaiian Chieftain and the Lady Washington sail out of Grays Harbor’s Historical Seaport Authority, Westport, Washington providing living history experiences on tall ships.

The concept of discovery brings about the dissolution of old paradigms and the crowning of new ones. A two dimensional world becomes three dimensional with curved horizons. Discovery brings about promises of renewal in the new world.

Some explorers claim discovery, while others shipwreck on the shores of hope and dreams.

Wreck of the Peter Iredale, Fort Stevens, Warrenton, Oregon

Image on Alamy

Perhaps some think that discovery is only the end point, however discovery is a process, encompassing the start, the finish, and the path in between. Indeed, the process of discovery also reflects the efforts of all that quest as one effort builds on the next. It is a continuing process of shared progress.

Next blog posting I’ll venture into discovery and cognitive processes.

Discovery - Part 2

King Penguin Examining Kelp Along Beach, South Georgia Island, Southern Atlantic Ocean
Image on Alamy

The King Penguin has been walking along the beach. He notices a piece of kelp strung along near the shore and is examining it with some interest. For him this is a discovery, a chance to examine and explore. Perhaps it is something to eat or just to play with.

Next blog posting I develop the idea of discovery further into the seafaring world.

Discovery

Gateway Arch, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St. Louis, Missouri

Image at Alamy

The Gateway Arch, designed by Archictect Eero Saarinen is a catenary arch built on the grounds of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. It is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s role in westward expansion and to Dred Scott’s role in obtaining freedom in the Old Courthouse.

Commissioned by President Jefferson as the Corps of Discovery, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was led by Merriweather Lewis and William Clark. The intent was to find a serviceable route to the Pacific Coast for commerce and for territorial advantage as well.

The arch is a symbol of discovery, of exploration. It symbolizes not just the discoveries of our ancestors but also serves as a conceptual beacon to guide and inspire us as we pursue discoveries that may help ourselves and civilization to advance.

I’ll discuss concepts of discovery further in my next blog posting.

Evolving Life and Categorization

Whales in Haro Strait

In my last article, Wikileaks and the Problem of Categorization, I talked about evolving technology and the categorization of structures and concepts with the evolving technology. There is a push-pull at work as we evolve technologies to suit our needs but at the same time technology itself encourages us to evolve to fit in with its capabilities.

Years ago a mouse was that thing that got into the house through a crack in the window and ran away with the cheese. Now, a mouse slides along a mouse rug transferring movement in the hand to electronic signals in the computer. Sometimes it seems to act on its own, closing an open window or gobbling up some cheesy letters in a fit of pique. We categorize “mice” according to context.

Yet both mice are the product of their own evolutionary processes.

Evolutionary biology is replete with categorization. We look back to the single celled organisms, bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes, and see that life has never looked back as a multitude of diverse life forms have evolved.

Starting out with the category Domain Eukarya, born out of the marriage of a Protobacteria and Archaea, we travel to Kingdom Animalia then to Phylum Chordata, on to Class Mammalia and then to Order Cetacea. In Order Cetacea we find the marine mammals, including whales, porpoises and dolphins. Under Class Mammalia, Cetacea are closely associated with the ungulates (hoofed animals).

Whales evolved from land mammals. Whales were likely a hoofed animal such as a wolf, that evolved over time to inhabit the briny deep. Mammals in the oceans? It seems like some awkward reversal of the common term “fish out of water”, a reversal of intuitive categorization.

The evolution of the whale was impressive in forging an adaptation between the two very difficult environments, land and sea. As warm blooded, air breathing creatures, with live births, they needed to forge a transition that would allow them to survive in an ocean environment. This transition took place over a long period and the story of that transition is written in the behavior of the whales themselves, and in archaeological evidence.

This Whale Evolution Documentary from PBS is excellent in discussing the story of how the whales evolved.

With humanity facing environmental, social and economic challenges, it will interesting how we adapt to those challenges and how we integrate technology into that process. In doing so, we will open up a sea of questions, including those about categorization, and interpreting behaviors and actions arising out of how we categorize.

Marilyn Dunstan’s whale images on Alamy.com

Wikileaks and the Problem of Categorization

At the New Year 2011 we wait for the next chapter in the continuing saga that is Wikileaks. A look at news articles under “Wikileaks” displays the many concepts that Wikileaks has touched.

In my view, the most profound concept to come from the Wikileaks saga is how we define categories and how that categorization reflects changing technology. We form mental categories, assigning meaning to events based on our experiences and the internal representations of those experiences. The richness of life reflects how these categories vary between people, places, events.

Society organizes around these categories with laws and social norms. Concepts thread their way from the dawn of time to the present, providing a beacon around which to organize.

Over time, these structures have been built around differing sets of risks and rewards as technology and social norms have evolved. As we inherently consider risks and rewards in our decision making, the fact that risks (and rewards) have changed so much with advancing technology means that structures and concepts will be reexamined to reflect those changes.

The ability for small changes to leverage themselves so quickly over such a wide area provides opportunity for considerable rewards but at the same presents considerable risks. It is incumbent upon us as a society to examine both elements, risk and reward and to reflect how we categorize the many things that impact our life. These are issues society must decide as it moves forward.

Seasons Greetings

Cascade Mountains, Mt Rainier National Park, originally uploaded by Marilyn Dunstan Photography.

This photo, taken in the Cascade Mountains, within Mt Rainier National Park, Washington captures the beauty of the season.

We're one in nature
Sharing the spirit we see
A wondrous design

Risk and Externalities

Western Sandpipers Flying (blurred motion), Ocean Shores, Washington

Events are unfolding as the President’s Commission continues its inquiries into the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill. A major focus is around the cement used to plug the Macondo well. As Halliburton was a contractor for BP, issues of responsibility swirl around the interpretation of contractual language as well as actions in determining responsibility. These issues then emerge into the financial marketplace in as part of stock decisions and rating agency actions.

The decisions made by Halliburton and BP regarding the cementing and associated issues will be exposed to heavy scrutiny. The degree of indemnification provided to Halliburton in the BP-Halliburton contract will be closely examined and interpreted. Time will tell where all the lawsuits will come down, how many civil and criminal penalties will be assessed, and to who.

It is likely the quantum of risk will reflect decision-making processes in key areas such as the cementing issue. Those decisions should reflect the impact of externalities on the risk-decision spectrum. The question will be how much weight was given to immediate issues of cost and time versus the long tail risk of a disaster, including the impact of a spill on the coastal areas, the ocean ecosystem and birds that don’t buy stocks, don’t pump gas and whose idea of take out is a worm coming out of the sand.

Societies like to look at redress, at making victims whole, bringing back ecosystems. The concern is where does the money come from to accomplish these goals and is it enough? Redress also includes assessing and enforcing responsibility. Societies also need to address solutions looking forward to help prevent and mitigate future disasters, including regulatory and other solutions.