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The Genesis of Technoscientific Revolutions: Rethinking the Nature and Nurture of Research

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Research powers innovation and technoscientific advance, but it is due for a rethink, one consistent with its deeply holistic nature, requiring deeply human nurturing.

Research is a deeply human endeavor that must be nurtured to achieve its full potential. As with tending a garden, care must be taken to organize, plant, feed, and weed—and the manner in which this nurturing is done must be consistent with the nature of what is being nurtured.

In The Genesis of Technoscientific RevolutionsVenkatesh Narayanamurti and Jeffrey Tsao propose a new and holistic system, a rethinking of the nature and nurturing of research. They share lessons from their vast research experience in the physical sciences and engineering, as well as from perspectives drawn from the history and philosophy of science and technology, research policy and management, and the evolutionary biological, complexity, physical, and economic sciences.

Narayanamurti and Tsao argue that research is a recursive, reciprocal process at many levels: between science and technology; between questions and answer finding; and between the consolidation and challenging of conventional wisdom. These fundamental aspects of the nature of research should be reflected in how it is nurtured. To that end, Narayanamurti and Tsao propose aligning organization, funding, and governance with research; embracing a culture of holistic technoscientific exploration; and instructing people with care and accountability.

Authors: Tsao Jeffrey, Narayanamurti Venkatesh
Publisher: HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Pages: 248
ISBN: 9780674251854
Cover: Hardback
Edition Number: 1
Release Year: 2021
  • Introduction
  • 1. The Technoscientific Method: Science, Technology, and Their Coevolution
    • 1.1. The Repositories of Technoscientific Knowledge: S and T
    • 1.2. The Growth of Technoscientific Knowledge:  and 
    • 1.3. Cycles of  and : The Transistor and the Maser / Laser
    • 1.4. Recapitulation
  • 2.The Intricate Dance of Question-and-Answer Finding
    • 2.1. Networks of Questions and Answers: Q and A
    • 2.2. Finding New Questions and Answers:  and Ȧ
    • 2.3. Cycles of  and Ȧ: Special Relativity and the iPhone
    • 2.4. Recapitulation
  • 3. The Punctuated Equilibria of Knowledge Evolution: Surprise and Consolidation
    • 3.1. Paradigms as Mediators of Surprise and Consolidation
    • 3.2. Surprise Spawns Consolidation Spawns Surprise
    • 3.3. Cycles of Surprise and Consolidation: Artificial Lighting
    • 3.4. Recapitulation
  • 4. Guiding Principles for Nurturing Research
    • 4.1. Align Organization, Funding, and Governance for Research
    • 4.2. Embrace a Culture of Holistic Technoscientific Exploration
    • 4.3. Nurture People with Care and Accountability
    • 4.4. Recapitulation
  • Conclusion
  • Glossary
  • References
  • Acknowledgments
  • Index

Jeffrey Y. Tsao is Senior Scientist at Sandia National Laboratories. A former executive in charge of research and development in the telecommunications field, he is Fellow of the American Physical Society and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Venkatesh Narayanamurti is Benjamin Peirce Professor of Technology and Public Policy, Emeritus, at Harvard University and former Vice President for Research at Sandia National Laboratories. He is Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an elected member of the United States National Academy of Engineering.

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