Improving our improvement

The roots of capitalism go back to the late Middle Ages. A transformation-- whose full explanation remains mysterious-- came about, such that Europeans changed from a view of maintaining to a view of improving, growing, and deliberately altering their world. There are some fascinating books linking the origins of capitalism to the origins of measurement, and hence science. It is not an accident that the Renaissance simultaneously brought about growth-oriented economics, a technological boom, and a questioning of conservative religious ideas.

More of these ideas are captured in a new book called A Culture of Improvement. According to the book review,

[D]espite the long-held beliefs of many 20th-century historians, and the persistent conviction of many 21st-century global plutocrats, the wealth and reach of the West did not develop because of imperial plunder and domination of non-Western lands. There is always enough rapaciousness and greed to go around in history’s persistently growing roster of confrontations and dominations, but imperialism, even at its most gluttonous, was not the source of Western triumph. Just the opposite. Imperialism was the result of Western triumph, a reflection of powers that derived from other sources. It was only possible once other forms of mastery had been established.

[...] Consider, for example, the earliest examples of mechanical clocks in the 14th century. Somehow they had to use a continuous mechanical force — the pull of a suspended weight slowly falling — to measure discrete intervals of time. [...]

By the 16th century it was clear that this achievement was the reflection of certain beliefs about the world. The principles applied to the turning of a wheel in a clock were seen as mirroring, in some way, the workings of cosmic spheres. There was a faith that the world was governed by the same laws that governed the smallest of human inventions. This also reflected confidence in human ability to comprehend that world and replicate its organization. This is the faith of the scientific enterprise itself: Human ability is honored as much as universal principles.

At the same time the development of such mechanical clocks permitted the formation of certain kinds of organized human community. Mr. Friedel suggests the clocks may have evolved out of the need in monasteries to create reliable schedules for prayers. The clock created a standard for time keeping, a public accounting that could not be reliably achieved with hourglasses or sundials. Clocks created community.

The links between technology, culture, beliefs, values, and power are intricate and probably impossible to lay out exactly. But I find it interesting to see new ways of connecting these fundamental human activities. I haven't read this book, but it is of the ilk that has shaped some of my ideas about how we are creating the system we live in now, and how that system might be altered. (Ah hah, my mind has that "culture of improvement" embedded in it).

I think it is worth recognizing that the spirit of changing our surroundings for the better has not always been in operation. We have, for long stretches of history in various cultures, not actually believed that it was possible. And it's also worth recognizing that BOTH the dominant force in capitalism -- "more, better, faster" -- AND the forces of ecological entrepreneurship and social justice spring from this same source. Both require the belief that human agency is effective and collective results can be created. It is this source that is fundamental, not the particular form of action it takes. Hence, we can choose the form of the action.

Thus, I think it would be a mistake to claim that the transformative changes in the West over that past 500 years have been the only significant instance of harnessing "the culture of improvement." Many societies have accepted their own agency (i.e, taken responsibility) in ways that brought about less harm. Now that we are becoming aware of the difficulties with the European model, and its inappropriateness given the Earth's declining resources, perhaps we could tap into some other ideas about how to be active in the world.

I propose designing an improvement to our current way of expressing the culture of improvement. Meta-improvement, that is.

My own view is that a more internal focus would be helpful. Partly we are "changing the world," but mostly we are changing ourselves, from which changes to the world follow.

Why do companies save energy?

Good question. Johnson Controls recently conducted a survey of 1,250 executives, asking about their views on energy costs and attitudes about energy efficiency. The Executive Summary points out that most are pessimistic about rising energy costs, and that they tend to be motivated more by cost-cutting than by pure environmental concern. Most remain fairly conservative both about what measures they have already implemented and what they are willing to try in the near future. This is a hardly surprising mix of motives and actions given the structure of American capitalism at this time. Of course, all things can change. In the meantime, something is better than nothing. Johnson Controls intends to conduct this survey annually. I wonder how the trends will shift over time, if they indeed repeat it regularly.

The Periodic Table of Visualization Methods

Warning: Time-waster for J-types.

Periodic Table of Visualization Methods

Saving the Whales Through DNA

Last night, I went to hear Dr. Stephen Palumbi of Stanford talk about how his research group studies whale DNA to better understand the current populations of many types of whales, and to assist in their protection. Basically, he extracts DNA from small samples of tissue and measures the genetic variation in it. Knowing the equations for variation based on factors such as population size and mutation rate, he can calculate the expected population size for a given amount of genetic variation.

Results so far indicate that many whale species have far too much genetic variation for the small population sizes we see today. Conclusion: There used to be more whales-- a lot more whales. This supports the need to protect them more vigorously. It also stands as some evidence against current claims that whale populations, which has been slowly rising since whale protection legislation was enacted, might be as they are because the oceans have already reached carrying capacity, so whales are food-limited-- ie, they have already recovered as much as they are supposed to.

Palumbi looks at fish too and has seen some similar results. He thinks his data show that humans have eaten many, many fish and that the oceans could really support greater populations (and indeed did so in the past).

Another thing Palumbi does is create short science videos to be viewed online. There are a bunch of such videos at Microdocs.org. All the ones Palumbi's lab have contributed to Microdocs are listed here (he calls it "Short attention span science theater"). In particular, I recommend the one about testing the DNA of store-purchased "Pacific red snapper." Caveat emptor! You might not be getting a red snapper-- check it out (just 5 minutes, and packed with interesting facts. He even has a famous chef assisting him in the DNA analysis).

Tautological headline

I smiled to see this tautological headline in the New York Times:

Study Suggests Meditation Can Help Train Attention

Part of meditation's intention is to train the attention. If it weren't doing that, it wouldn't be meditation. Still, I am always interested, if not surprised, to see scientific studies revealing the benefits of meditation.

Chen-19

I have been taking a tai chi class for a few months now, and finally have learned all the moves of the Chen-19 form. (Techically, just 19, but each one has several positions and movements within it). Still, this is a very simple form, designed to be an "intro to tai chi" for the Chinese people.

I only know the barest sketch of historical and current context for this form, but I am learning bits and pieces. What I know so far is that sometime back in history, the tai chi chuan masters of China were like today's rock stars or top athletes: Admired, lusted after, and generally granted high status, special favors, and lots of money. With all of this came the requisite sense of self-importance and competitive nature. But, since this was China, it was all about family name and honor. The Chen family was especially esteemed in the tai chi area. They built high walls around their estate and practiced their forms from midnight to 4 am so no one would see them. As you might expect, a traitor got himself hired as a servant, then stayed up every night to watch the forms until he learned them himself. He "leaked" them to the public, and evenutally the Chens had to become less secretive. Now many people have learned the Chen forms, but the Chen family is still considered premier.

The current patriarch is Chen Xiao Wang. There is a YouTube clip of him doing the Chen-19 form, which he created. And there is much more about Chen-style tai chi chuan on Wikipedia.

Tai chi comes in two "frames," Lao Jia and Xin Jia. Lao Jia is the older, more traditional style ("old frame"), and it involves many swirling motions and spirals. Essentially, the complex movements of the chi are translated outward to the body and shown explicitly. Xin Jia is "new frame," and it is more internal, with the chi motion merely hinted at through simpler movements.

The Chen-19 form was created at the request of the Chinese government, so that Chinese people would have an easy form to learn that would connect them to their cultural heritage. It is actually a mix of Lao Jia and Xin Jia. I have heard that when Chinese masters come to visit the US, students are told sternly that they must only do Lao Jia so as not to offend the traditional tastes of older masters. Chen-19 would not be a good choice.

Today I had fun-- I went and did the form outside, alongside a walking path. Many people strolled by as I practiced. A couple of guys asked me if I was doing a martial art, so I told them it was tai chi. Many people associate tai chi with groups of older Asian people gathered in the park at dawn. My sifu (teacher), Chris Shelton, is interested in changing the image of tai chi. It can be fast and hard as well as slow and soft. He hopes more young people will begin doing tai chi as an alternative to more violent pastimes. It is just as much of a workout, and far more beneficial for the mind and body overall, than most sports. If you doubt that, give it a try. Even football players and karate masters can get winded from basic silk-spinning exercises.