01 - Think Darwin!
The northernmost city in Australia is Darwin. Darwin is in the Northern Territory and is the only large city in the world named after one of the cleverest humans who ever lived, Charles Darwin, author of The Origin of Species and most famous for his brilliant idea on how evolution works.
Darwin’s Theory (as it has been fully developed during the last 150 years) has explained more about life in the universe than any other idea ever produced by any other thinker from St Paul to Steven Hawking.
In my personal opinion, he is easily the #1 Thinker of the Second Millennium.
So, why may Darwin’s idea be regarded as the most powerful theory in all of science?
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power. So, a theory that explains 10 things but needs to assume 5 things is not as powerful as a theory that explains 8 things but needs to assume only 3 things.
Darwin’s Theory (meaning the elaboration of his theory as it has evolved in science today) explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist. Why? Because what follows from the existence of high fidelity replicators like genes is the process of mutation, competition, selection and … evolution.
Before Darwin, in the Western culture, the only explanation for the origin of the diverse array of different species on earth was the JCI Monotheistic Theory of GOD.
In the Judeo-Christian-Islamic (JCI) religious theory, each species was seen as a separate direct line of member creatures originating from the first of its kind which was created personally by GOD. If you see an elephant, it was thought to have descended from a long line of ancestor elephants going all the way back to the first ‘Adam elephant’ which GOD made. The same applied to any dragonfly you could see, or dolphin, or insect, or rattlesnake. Each member of a species was thought to have descended from it’s own Adam prototype which was created by GOD in a momentous and strenuous burst of designer energy.
Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species. His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness. His theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
01 Feedback Question: After you post your comment below for FQ01 you can click here to proceed to FQ02 entitled “Dawkins on Memes“:
FQ01 (Feedback Question):
Cut and paste below the sentence from this page that you find most interesting and say why.
June 21st, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
What I like about this fact is that whatever you believe JCI or Darwin’s Theory I think this statement is true.
June 17th, 2009 at 5:10 am
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power. So, a theory that explains 10 things but needs to assume 5 things is not as powerful as a theory that explains 8 things but needs to assume only 3 things.
This is because in science we deal with evidence, not assumptions.
June 10th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species.
I find it fascinating that Darwin started with such an expansive thought to begin with. I’ve got no scientific background and imagine (perhaps foolishly) that it took a great thinker to look for a common origin for life as diverse as elephants and jellyfish; especially at a time when the opposite notion was all that had any credence.
June 8th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
The company making buggy whips in the 19th century is now either making leather hand bags or is out of business.
Companies need to keep up with the changes in the world to stay in business. They need to be a bit ahead to really succeed.
June 6th, 2009 at 11:26 am
His theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
An entity can only survive over time if it can adapt to changes in it’s environment.
June 5th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
June 5th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive
why dont present leaders in todays recession notice evolution whats happening in world today,weak new nations become stronger,while strong nations get older[weaker]evolutionary time
June 5th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
“Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.” In order to be copied or improved, all business processes must be robust,
fully understood, trainable and learnable. Luck or good fortune is not robust and therefore has almost no part to play.
June 5th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
what follows from the existence of high fidelity replicators like genes is the process of mutation, competition, selection and … evolution.
This is the essence of our being, our growth, our continued improvement and in adapting to a changing environment. Without this “process of mutation, competition, selection and … evolution” we would have failed to progress as a species.
Although at times I do wonder whether this process is taking us back to a more primitive form of existence given the destruction which we are so intent on carrying out on the environment and our society.
June 5th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Adam prototype which was created by GOD in a momentous and strenuous burst of designer energy.
Charles Darwin - Original Idea
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:08 am
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive
it spells out a basic fact…
May 30th, 2009 at 11:30 am
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.”
I find this absolutely fascinating. At the risk of exposing that my education has been heavily biased towards arts rather than sciences, I must admit that I’ve never considered this before. Today I will try to find & consider examples.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
…..for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
Simply any company or organisation has to change for the better in order to maintain survival before considering capability to grow.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:29 am
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
Using this process a business idea will have more power if ithe idea has less underlying assumptions
May 24th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.”
This is such a powerful concept and in many ways the “power” could also be thought of as a truth indicator or usefulness indicator. Weighting the likelihood of each assumption might lead to an even more interesting rating.
For example. There are several theories that explain the billions of different life forms. So if we divide the one billion (number of life forms explained) by the likelihood of the assumptions behind each theory (sum of assumptions multiplied by individual likelihood of each assumption) then the higher number could be more useful. Since each theory explains the same billion or so lifeforms, we can ignore this number and simplify our calculation down to the sum of the assumptions multiplied by likelihood of assumptions. We then use this formula to compare each theory.
Gene theory
Two Assumptions
1) Genes exist (99%)
2) Genes mutate, evolve etc (90%)
Power = .99 * .9 * 100 = 89.1
FSM (Flying Spaghetti Monster)
Two Assumptions:
1) FSM Exists (50%)
2) FSM created all life forms with a probable purpose to evolve into pirates (80%)
Power - .5 * .8 * 100 = 40
JSI
Lots of assumptions. Let’s keep to hree.
1) God exists. (5%)
2) All creatures that have and will ever be created, were intentionally created by God in the beginning. (1%)
3) Man existed at the same time as dinosaurs. (1%)
Power = .05 * .01 * .01 * 100 = 0.0005
While I’m sure that there could be a better calculation to use (a bvs!), the results are certainly interesting.
May 20th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive - I find this to be an amazing insight into our limitless posibilites and the way we can re-invent ourselfes through controll and development.
May 20th, 2009 at 2:22 am
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.” This is interesting to me because I had always assumed (without explicitly identifying my assumption) that a theory was powerful by its explanatory effectiveness alone. There are two levels to this for me: the first is that assumptions I and others make are rarely explicitly identified; the second is that my own unspoken assumption about the power of a scientific theory limited my own ability to fully understand not only the substance of the theory but also its power.
May 18th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
This is quite relevent to the number of business’s going under in Australia during the economic downturn. They aren’t good enough to survive in bad times so they should be let go,, not propped up by grants and Government spending. The ones that can get by during the hard times are more efficient or better managed and they are the ones we should be modelling from.
May 13th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
this is the best statement so far, this really explains what science is and the deepth of science is…
May 11th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
What more explanation would one require to know the power of science.when the remainder is high the power is high.Excellent equation.Foolproof.
May 8th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I belive this theory can be applied even many many years in future,a billion years again or may be more. it is universal…I wish i has his confidence..
May 3rd, 2009 at 3:08 am
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power.
.
I find this “rule of thumb” about measuring power quite interesting. I wonder how it might be applied to other aspects of life, for example, business phenomena.
.
I work in branding, giving names to things — these days, mostly pharmaceuticals. The names have to survive and thrive (yes, a la Darwin) in a global environment.
.
I wonder if there is a way to measure the power of a brand name. What divided by what?
Something like number of embedded communication assets times number of linguistic roots involved, then divide the product by something….but what?
.
Any thoughts would be welcome.
May 1st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power. I selected this sentence because for me, it details how powerful a careful and well constructed arguement can impact of the thoughts and focus considerations others may ponder. In other words if your can create an arguement that covers as many bases as another may create then the arguement is generally a very good one to side with.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power…”
Love it, its a quantifiable approach to knowledge.
April 28th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
“If you see an elephant, it was thought to have descended from a long line of ancestor elephants going all the way back to the first ‘Adam elephant’ which GOD made.”
I suppose one of the main differences between this statement and Darwin’s Theory of Evolution is that Darwin put forward the idea of COMMON ancestors, rather than just mere ancestors. Common ancestors show common characteristics to more than one evolutionary line of organisms.
I find it amazing that there is just one point in evolutionary history where two species diverged. What intermediate features did they have and what features came later?
April 28th, 2009 at 4:19 am
Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species
April 27th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
“Before Darwin, in the Western culture, the only explanation for the origin of the diverse array of different species on earth was the JCI Monotheistic Theory of GOD.”
Quite interesting that even after Darwin, there are a lot of people out there still strongly believing in something like JCI Monotheistic Theory of GOD without consideration in any other possibilities at all.
I think that the root causes of most problems in the world are too many GODs out there.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:20 am
Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species. It gives boilogical explanation to social change
April 16th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness.
The two words here that interest me are: survival and fitness. Survival because it encapsulates the key message of this program in that we should be thinking more about survival and less about growth. In this respect I see a strong relationship with sustainability and resilience. The word fitness is an excellent word - as the previous respondent said. Not only does it refer to health, it also refers to the state of ‘fit’. That means how things fit in the bigger picture. Fitness is also about how something fits in a system.
April 14th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness.
The word fitness encompasses many, many things - it has a different meaning for differenct people and can alter in different environments/circumstances…………but, at the end of the day if all aspects of fitness are not considered, then holistically, your longevity will be comprimised in some way. Not everyting that impacts on your fitness (be it personal health or in a business context) can be controlled by you, but all factors can be influenced by each individual. The challenge is getting the balance right for the situation you find yourself in. This is a sentence that can be applied to any situation - that will connect with every single person - as we all have views and opinions on fitness - it is a good starting point as there is common ground in our inherent need to survive.
April 11th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
Why?
If you don’t survive, you are dead! you are out!
no you
no product
no service
no more offering
You are fired!
April 10th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Quote:
“what follows from the existence of high fidelity replicators like genes is the process of mutation, competition, selection and … evolution.”
Comment:
I believe this comment actually reflects well on successful managers within large organisations. It also can be used to reflect on leadership characteristics, which is an area where definition of what it takes to be a good leader is lean at best.
April 9th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Darwin’s Theory, as we know it today, explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist.
It is amazing to think that Darwin didn’t even know what a gene was yet through investigation and thinking about how things fit together he made a leap of genious insite. Further, he did this against the background of a World pressure of religious thought.
April 9th, 2009 at 1:35 am
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
April 8th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Darwin’s Theory,
as we know it today, explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist. ……………………..mutation, competition, selection and … evolution.
Before Darwin, in the Western culture, the only explanation for the origin of the diverse array of different species on earth was the JCI Monotheistic Theory of GOD.
Perhaps there may be another explanation!!!!?????
April 8th, 2009 at 5:12 am
Darwin’s Theory has explained more about life in the universe than any other idea ever produced by any other thinker from St Paul to Steven Hawking. It allow an alternative view of the world and life on earth.
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:34 am
Darwin’s Theory, as we know it today, explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist.
It gives boilogical explanation to social change
March 30th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
“Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive”.
I found this most interesting because it is proof that Darwin’s theory can be applied today in the real business world. If we can identify and work with ideas that can be passed on and spread then we will survive and grow
March 29th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
In the Judeo-Christian-Islamic (JCI) religious theory, each species was seen as a separate direct line of member creatures originating from the first of its kind which was created personally by GOD.
Sounds like a theory based on one assumption which would constitute a strong theory depending on how convincing, and how many things it explains. Is this the cause of antinomy between science and religion, a theory that is too simple?
March 28th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
This gives us the opportunity to take the things in our own hands: Be good! (what ever “good” means). Together with the fact that evolution is a general strategy “good” is not “good” for ever. As soon as we see that there is a better possibility, it’s time to improve, to make “good” things better.
March 27th, 2009 at 4:48 am
“Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.”
We should strive to be people worthy of being copied.
March 23rd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
It is always enjoyable to consider how we have ascetained what is “right or wrong”, this could carry over into many venues.
March 16th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Each member of a species was thought to have descended from it’s own Adam prototype which was created by GOD in a momentous and strenuous burst of designer energy.
I like the mental pic of frazzled GOD tearing around his kitchen in a frenzy with ingredients scattered everywhere…!!!
March 14th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
“.. the only large city in the world named after one of the cleverest humans who ever lived…”
How is it that we name so many cities etc with JCI names?
His theory is so simple and elegant.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:45 am
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. ”
The number of things it explains might be fairly easy to get but the number of things it assumes? Wow, a bit mind boggling…I mean how do you work that out. When you assume something isn’t that assumption then based on other assumptions? Do you count them too? How do you get to the original assumptions? Or am I talking nonsense?
March 12th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
“Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species”.
The JCI theory survived reliably for many thousands of years before it was surpassed by a stronger, newer, fitter “theory of evolution”.
Assuming that Darwin has now proved Christianity, after several thousand years, to be incorrect, I must ask the question:
“What if …at some point in the future a more powerful thinker comes along and proves Darwin to be … wrong?”.
March 8th, 2009 at 3:35 am
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.”
I’ve always wondered how science dealt with the unknown in their experiments. So, basically, scientists look for explanations that come as close as possible to what can be proven and go with that.
That’s a neat way of looking at science. The interesting thing for me is that there are many things that we do not know, and so there are things we have to assume. If we make even one assumption, what if that assumption is wrong?
Of course, until we learn these things, we have no choice. But, still, it makes you wonder.
Nonetheless, I now have a tool to use to evaluate theories to see how much relevance they have. Thanks for the insight.
March 5th, 2009 at 11:39 am
“The Darwin Theory”
I think the theory expain clearly the nature of human kind or any living things. As the theory say about only the survive will live, this it could be happen if only you became addapted on that kind of enviroment.
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:57 am
“His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness.”
As a matter of personal clarity I can see that survival is based on fitness. I can be fit to survive if I ‘evolve’ and grow with my own education and training.
February 28th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
” His explanation of evolution was the theory of survival of fitness.”
That was news to me. All these years i had thought it was ’survival of the fittest.’ Many connotations to the word ‘fitness’.
February 28th, 2009 at 4:36 am
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species. His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness. His theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
February 26th, 2009 at 4:08 am
The title “Think Darwin” is quiet interesting eventhough i don’t agree alot with the theory but the thinking procedure is interesting and to be considered and studied carefully …
February 25th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
this was the radical idea of how things developed
February 25th, 2009 at 6:22 am
“His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness”
I like this because i always thought it was ” survival of the fittest”, its its a very new angle on something i have never given much thought to , until now .
February 25th, 2009 at 1:27 am
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
Why?
It’s about being most useful; maximum contribution (explaination) in relation to input (assumption).
February 24th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Because what follows from the existence of high fidelity replicators like genes is the process of mutation, competition, selection and … evolution.
Give people within your sphere enough space to do things differently .A resultant “mutation” from your standard process could result in the evolution of a more efficient system.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness.
Most Interesting because, like a Puzzle, IF the piece(s) does Not FIT, it matters Not how you try to bend or coerce it to Fit … hence Natural Selection / Fitness Alone Can Solve the Problem / the Fit …
Briefly, the Appropriate Piece Alone shall Fit and It Alone shall demonstrate its very own “Survival of Fitness” … and So It Is With All Species = Humans, Animals …. N A T U R A L L Y …
In closing, this definitely Applies to one’s Thinking / Thought Processes. As you Think, so shall you Reap … The Fitness of the Thought shall Survive Only IF it has a Darwin Fit to the Right Problem.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:07 am
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. ”
Because in a Darwinian way, it is the fittest theory that survives, the one that can adapt.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Each member of a species was thought to have descended from it’s own Adam prototype which was created by GOD in a momentous and strenuous burst of designer energy.
When worded like this the idea that God created everything seems almost crazy.
February 17th, 2009 at 8:01 am
I find that there is a great discussion associated with the idea of the survival of the fitest. When I think about Genetic change to produced better equiped survival opportunities I ponder was it by good futune/luck or was it through a one off flukey chance or was it through an inner sense of the need to survive an adaption conscious of a recognised need to survive in a surrounding that had provided clues or is mother nature simply looking after us all?.
February 14th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Darwin’s Theory, as we know it today, explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist.
The power of this single concept/’gene’meme enables ability and potential to survive change, evolve and grow
February 12th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
“…the fittest–survive.”
This way of thinking confirms that in life we have pretty much to say in what happens or not. Dont give your energy or power away by saying you can’t do anything about your life.
February 8th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
“His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness.”
In my heart I’ve always believed this to be true and witnessed many occassions to support the theory. Secrets are unlocked by those who seek, explore and discover. A whole new world of evidence proving or disproving opens up to aid in our evolution and has got us to where we are today and where we will be tomorrow. One person questioning one thing led to a new discovery, what if we all did that?
February 4th, 2009 at 10:16 am
My selected sentence…
The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power.
I’d never thought about ‘measuring’ a theory, but I can see here that one can. Certainly I’ve always avoided ‘assumptions’. The old adage about them making an ‘ASS out of U and Me’ has been demonstrated so many times. Interesting.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:11 am
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
If your offer is no good, no one else will match it. If it is good, then others will match it, and you need t be already preparing your next, superior offer.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness. The reason why I like this sentence is that the word ’survival of the fitness’ somehow reminds me of the fact that how crucial role flexibility plays in thinking.
Also this whole para ‘In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power. So, a theory that explains 10 things but needs to assume 5 things is not as powerful as a theory that explains 8 things but needs to assume only 3 things.’ is very important to me because it highlights the weakness of theories i.e most of them assumes things are going to be constant but in real world things are not the same as this and where there is lot of factors involved. As a result when a student learns the theories and when he/she goes to apply this in the real-world they find it little or no helpful. This also highlights why thinking is needed as a formal subject in school.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:58 am
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied-the fittest- survive.
In economics the question is always asked “is it a science or an art”?. It is most definitely an art as it mostly explains only one parameter assuming ceterus paribus ( where all other things remain equal) an absolutely ridiculous concept in current global economic circumstances.This will be a period of economic history that definitively proves the survival of the fittest concept.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:20 am
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
I find this the most interesting although an extremely difficult choice, but I find it most interesting as it points to the power of the meme in survival of the fittest and points to the fact that the transmission indicates memes rely on minimal assumptions as they obviously transmit so effectively, especially noted when i tried at first to think of memes in my life, the more I thought the more I realised that my life is full of them!!!! (Screaming noises coming from my house!)
January 18th, 2009 at 1:33 am
“The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.” This sentence creates a model to think about how equipped a business is for survival, which seems more useful than just the the financial ratios and statements. But there is some ambiguity in the model. Whose survival is more important - the offering or the business that offered it? Producing something that’s good enough to be copied is not enough, you might get killed in the process.
January 12th, 2009 at 7:38 am
“power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes”
This concept can be applied to business in advising clients for example; the ability to solve multiple issues with evidence. This provides a focus for me when consulting to limit or reduce the assumptions and replace with the ‘best fact’ I have available!
January 5th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
‘the survival of fitness’ …. to me is most inetresting and relevant statement in the lesson. We know it since our child hood but never ‘understood’ the real theory. Hope ‘Thionk Darwin’ will help us survuive in the market place
January 3rd, 2009 at 7:06 am
“The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power.”
This question really makes me ask if we are assuming as little as possible or are we fabricating a storyline and giving it power?
Although we are symbiotic creatures in a biosphere,we set aside self preservation for the exhaustion of limited resources.I wonder if we as a species can see outside our instinctual behaviour and channel our drives into healthy sustainable patterns of evolution.
December 28th, 2008 at 6:04 am
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time.
This sentence challenges me to ask more questions.It suggests a biological impulse for business.I’m consistently amazed by the adapabliity of organisms in general and the human organism specifically.
December 23rd, 2008 at 5:23 pm
“The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive”
This is exactly what is happening in the marketplace, if you can’t serve your customers, they will switch to other products or services.
It’s the Customers’ choice if a Product/Company survive or not in the future. So, only the better Service/Company will survive because she has a substantive Customers base “loyal Customers”. Otherwise, the Company (including Governments) would go the way of the dinosaur.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
this idea works on so many levels
December 4th, 2008 at 10:37 am
Because what follows from the existence of high fidelity replicators like genes is the process of mutation, competition, selection and … evolution
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:13 am
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. I find this most interesting as I’m struggling with this idea - surely this assumes all assumptions are equal.
But on the Darwin side, I like - “Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive”. That’s an interesting view on success in the marketplace. Perhaps success is the length of time you can protect your IP, and then move on?
November 19th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Darwin’s Theory, as we know it today, explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist. Why? Because what follows from the existence of high fidelity replicators like genes is the process of mutation, competition, selection and … evolution.
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive
I strongly feel that both these paragraphs are related and to just add a little thought here, that is the precise reason why many cultures are dying and many buisness houses are closing down-
October 30th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
The fact that an idea that is the fittest survives and carries on to the next level is great to me.
October 26th, 2008 at 2:50 am
‘The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power.’
This is a powerful statement which needs to be carefully studied and internalized. There is nothing to which it cannot be applied. It is a recipe for planning progress and action.
October 17th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. This statement is quite apt, a very good metrics to operationalise the utilitarian value of a theory.
October 13th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
“The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time.”
It is a very good application of Darwin’s theory. But once you read it, it seems obvious (as if it was Darwin’s idea).
October 9th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
A theory that explains 10 things but needs to assume 5 things are not as powerful as a theory that explains 8 things but needs to assume only 3 things.
We have always accepted theories without questioning facts from assumptions. I will now weight up theories to establish if I will run with it or not
October 4th, 2008 at 1:47 am
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
Never come across this before.
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:14 am
Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species. His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness. His theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation
September 30th, 2008 at 8:04 am
His theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
I find this most interesting…. thinking about a business and the variations and changes it must go through to be passed on to the next generation…. I can think of businesses that were going strong when I was a child that are no longer around…..
September 29th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
If you see an elephant, it was thought to have descended from a long line of ancestor elephants going all the way back to the first ‘Adam elephant’ which GOD made. The same applied to any dragonfly you could see, or dolphin, or insect, or rattlesnake. Each member of a species was thought to have descended from it’s own Adam prototype which was created by GOD in a momentous and strenuous burst of designer energy.
Does this mean anything that is alive has an “Adam” created by GOD as we humans?
September 29th, 2008 at 7:27 am
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power. So, a theory that explains 10 things but needs to assume 5 things is not as powerful as a theory that explains 8 things but needs to assume only 3 things.
this is very intresting!
September 28th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
Of the different business prototypes available. The most popular are those which copy a proven systemie: Franchise
September 28th, 2008 at 1:29 am
Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species. His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness. His theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
I find the above most inyeresting because it really makes sense
September 26th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
September 21st, 2008 at 9:28 pm
1. power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
2. Darwin’s Theory, as we know it today, explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist.
3. Judeo-Christian-Islamic (JCI) religious theory, each species was seen as a separate direct line of member creatures originating from the first of its kind which was created personally by GOD.
These are interesting !
1. alternative explanation for the origin of all species. His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness.
2. what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
These are the reasons 4 interesting observations!
September 21st, 2008 at 8:59 pm
i am really curious
September 16th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
You really got my interest with your line from the previous page !!
In my experience, business education is faithfully based on a false premise–that the problem of business is growth. When, in fact, the problem of business is survival.
From this Page
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
I read others thoughts and appreciate them. I am left wondering , how I can apply these learnings parctically to my life, business finance etc. I will learn and adapt during the 10 lessons
Eddie
September 10th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
A product or service that is strong( meets customer demands) but adaptive to changing times will survive.
September 9th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
‘His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness’
Survival of fitness, I think, is closely related to Adversity Quotient.
Adversity quotient is considered to be the most important requirement for the survival and success of any endeavor. That is , high AQ is far more important than IQ, PQ, EQ and SQ.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:27 am
“Darwin’s Theory, as we know it today, explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist.” I think this is the most fascinating comment - assuming genes exist, and now, so many years later, we know they do.
September 8th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.”
I find the above sentence interesting, because it is beatifully simple, whilst at the same time immensley powerful. I had never considered this before, but now you have said it, it is obviously correct.
September 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
September 8th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species
i think above stated is most interesting coz he was the only person to this so
September 8th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
So, why may Darwin’s idea be regarded as the most powerful theory in all of science?
It sits so nicely with Tim Berners-Lee’s World Wide Web. The most powerful communication tool.
September 8th, 2008 at 8:42 am
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power.
September 8th, 2008 at 8:03 am
“The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.”
Interesting that those who write their websites to work only on Internet Explorer are not adapting as well as they could. Submissions using Firefox, don’t seem to work. They generate a WordPress error saying that javascript should be enabled, when it actually IS enabled. Wonder how the schoolofthinking website will cope with Google Chrome?
September 8th, 2008 at 7:56 am
one of the cleverest humans who ever lived. Bring new perspective on what is deemed ‘clever’
September 8th, 2008 at 4:26 am
Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species.
This gave mankind a different line of thought.
September 8th, 2008 at 12:26 am
“random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive”
The point about mutation is that random variations give the species the potential to be able to survive in the environment which itself evolves, and changes.
Where the random change is a good fit with the changed environment in which it finds itself the variation incorporating the change is better able to survive and replicate than others without the variation.
September 7th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.” This is a very powerful explanation.
September 7th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Cut and paste below the sentence from this page that you find most interesting and say why.
Because asking why is one the most important question you can ask.
September 7th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
#1 Thinker of the Second Millennium.because he challenged the God Theory
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:48 pm
His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness.
Survival of the fittest by adaptation covers topics right across the board - animals, agriculture, business…
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:28 am
His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness. His theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
I found the above theory of evolution very interesting, because i don`t believe Darwin did us any good … if something , or animals and human became what we are today due to evolution some millions of years ago, how come we are still what we are, or has evolution stopped with the current human form? same to the animals and plants? I wonder. or we will evolute to another form, later since the theory of evolution is a continuous process or not?
August 29th, 2008 at 12:06 am
random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest applies to most situations from development and maintenance of a species to survival of ideas and systems and procedures.
August 28th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
P.S. “GOD” is not an explanation.
August 28th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Before Darwin the only explanation for the origin of the diverse array of different species on earth was the JCI Monotheistic Theory of GOD.
Before I learned of Darwin I had questions about how I was able to find things in JCI teachings that were contradictions to me. Now I have grown to believe that what we know as “GOD” is the creation of the human mind. If there is one alternate explanation for the diversity of life on this planet there probably is a BVS that could bring us closer to what is the meaning of our human lives, why we are born, live and then die. I hope that there is a continued existence for our lives, but don’t ask me what it is because I don’t know and I don’t believe that anyone will ever be able to explain it.
August 26th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness.
I think today this ‘fitness’ applies more to mental fitness rather than physical fitness.
August 25th, 2008 at 1:56 am
I knew for quite some time that Darwin’s natural selection idea is the first to get it absolutely right. I also wondered how a theory with such huge implcations could be more widely adapted. You juts opened a new world for me adapting it to buisiness theory. Thank you very much!
August 20th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
It is all very interesting!
I wonder where so I see the bios from the pipeline again . . did my bio get on there.
I sent it to you-
R:-)
August 18th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
In my personal opinion, he is easily the #1 Thinker of the Second Millennium.
science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power
August 18th, 2008 at 10:32 am
‘Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive’
The idea that an offer needs to be replicated and that this is about survival not growth is quitr a mindshift that I find facinatinh and challenging. I think this notion of survival is critically important and equally neglected.
August 18th, 2008 at 4:59 am
In my personal opinion, he is easily the #1 Thinker of the Second Millennium.
Not just a thinker but perhaps #1 applier too. Darwin was obsessive in his accumulation of animals, data and research, cross referencing and collaborating with other thinkers. The original SDNT I’d say!
August 17th, 2008 at 7:19 am
Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species.
An alternative explanation - what a concept. The catch phrase that has been in use for the last twenty or so years is thinking outside of the box. I like alternative explanation much better. Want to be rich and famous? Simply find an alternative explanation, isn’t that what building a better mousetrap is all about?
August 16th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
His theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
Why: Because the theory of the survival of fittest can also lead us to theory of the Welfare of the weak to create human value or value creation., or innovation Thus greater scope for new possibility and value.
August 16th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Darwin’s Theory, as we know it today, explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist.
Because all the construction blocks of living nature use genes to replicate, modify, and survive. The assumption has proved to be true.
August 16th, 2008 at 5:25 am
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
I watch with interest the competition for newspaper readership between John Fairfax’s The Sydney Morning Herald and Rupert Murdoch’s The Australian and how they are now both utilising the internet to add value to themselves.
August 15th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
August 15th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
“Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive”.
August 15th, 2008 at 8:55 am
“Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied –the fittest – survive.”
August 15th, 2008 at 12:37 am
“Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied –the fittest – survive.”
Yes, but in memetic (r)evolution we need genetic evolution’s equivalent of constructive mutation. And that is constructive creativity.
Humans can look out for and encourage serendipity, i.e. the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate.
Like poets do when they manipulate coincidental rhyme, for instance.
August 14th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
“Darwin’s Theory has explained more about life in the universe than any other idea ever produced by any other thinker from St Paul to Steven Hawking.”
His theory has led to ‘the meaning of life’ - we are here to pass on our genes in an attempt to perpetuate our species.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.”
I understand the power of this statement and it completely makes sense to me. However, I do wonder if there can ever be a theory postulated that assumes nothing (0) and then the equation becomes a conundrum because you cannot divide anything by zero (0), right?
August 14th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
Even winning business models become stale over time. There is a need to reinvent either the product, service, marketing angle and so forth in order to keep the momentum going. Just as a gene mutation produces a new variety to behold, so must business reinvent itself in order to stay alive for the long haul through change, growth and adaptation.
The laws that apply to nature, also rule business process. New forms are constantly being made, and old ones are dissolving. Such is the process of life and business.
So simple!
August 13th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
In our society theories are often treated as fact - no matter how many assumptions are made to develop that theory. I like this definition of the potential power (validity?) of theories based on the ratio of fact based explanations and assumptions.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
August 13th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Of all the therories in Science floating around, Darwin’s has yet to be bested by a new theory along the same lines. With all the new information available now, it seems to me that as it continues to stand on its own then as far as we presently know it is a constant truth that can be built on and incorporated into use any way we can that helps us to survive. So business should be incorporating strategies to do just this as a base line and perhaps that is what is missing from the ‘How to start a business manuals’. This should be a fundamental step in the process.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
Getting copied applies to various market situations. Verbally, customers meme good offers (tell their friends about their great deals and buys, bargains, top service and warn about bad deals also (which leads to avoidance, uncopying!) THats like
Competitors strive to copy the best features of top selling products and services.
Producers ramp up production (copy) their fast selling products to crowd out competitors and avoid shortages on resellers shelves.
Advertisers promote the best features, benefits - ie. distribute copious copies (images) of clients products.
All these add to the marketing mix.
August 13th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
His theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
The world has shown today the proof of his theory the fittest will survive.The creative people lead the leadership.
P. Vijayachandran.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power.
Darwin’s Theory explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist.
Darwin provided an alternative explanation for the origin of all species. His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Darwin’s theory explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist.
wow! i didn’t know that.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I think thant Darwin’s theory can best be summarized by the statement, “Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.”
It seems so obvious! If you don’t survive long enough to breed then you obviously don’t pass on your characteristics which we now know as “genes”.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:34 am
His theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
Not sure of this. Man, especially a caucasion, has white skin that will burn. If this is an evolved species, why would not our skin not burn by now? Some things have evolved, others have appeared it seems.
August 13th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Darwin’s Theory explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist.
This is remarkable since the existence of genes in Darwin’s time was not known so his foresight was incredible
August 13th, 2008 at 7:08 am
For me, the most interesting sentence on this page is “Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.” because it clearly states what must be done to survive and thrive in business.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:52 am
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes”.
Very interesting to apply this to your everyday life.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:45 am
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power. So, a theory that explains 10 things but needs to assume 5 things is not as powerful as a theory that explains 8 things but needs to assume only 3 things.
Darwin’s Theory explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist. Why? Because what follows from the existence of high fidelity replicators like genes is the process of mutation, competition, selection and … evolution.
Why I came to this point is that there is no absolute truth in science and today we can attest the progress made in science. Dawins work was a great work. I have personally come to know his theory when I was 18 years. Great
August 12th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
“Before Darwin the only explanation for the origin of the diverse array of different species on earth was the JCI Monotheistic Theory of GOD.”
The western culture is still blind to this fact and insists teach magic truths like this GOD.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
It is a fact that you see everyday in the business news …lately with the cost of fuel and the result of certain car companies that are heading to extinction.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.
The good offers, products and services which customers prefer to buy, also tend to get talked about by word-of-mouth, ie. verbally “duplicated” as “good offers, bargains, value”.
More get produced or delivered because customers are happy and keep buying. Advertising is often designed to create a strong image that the product is the “fittest, best, most popular, etc”
August 12th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.”
I’d never thought of identifying theories with this method, now I can approach more theories in the future with a better initiative.
August 12th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
“The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time. Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive.”
Repetion of the best, “the fittest” truly survive and go on to create the best in life and the marketplace, evolving and improving on what has come before.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:24 am
The same idea can explain much of what happens in the marketplace over time.
I find this statement interesting because it explains in such a simple phrase what so many business books try to explain with thousands and thousands of words.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:56 am
His theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation
August 12th, 2008 at 7:22 am
“So, a theory that explains 10 things but needs to assume 5 things is not as powerful as a theory that explains 8 things but needs to assume only 3 things.”
I had no idea that’s how you measure the power of a theory. But it does make sense…
August 12th, 2008 at 5:36 am
survival of the fittest
August 12th, 2008 at 3:31 am
Surely Darwin’s thoughts play an essential role in begining to explore the nature of existence.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
“In my personal opinion, he is easily the #1 Thinker of the Second Millennium.”
I find this most interesting because it is your stated personal opinion; because it’s a pretty bold assertion; and because I had never bothered to wonder about ranking thinkers before. But then again, I don’t have a “school of thinking”, so why would I
August 11th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
“..the survival of fitness..” because I always thought it was survival of the fittest - how easily we assume that what we have heard is correct!
August 11th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Darwin theory showed how over evolutionary time–which is very, very, very, long in the millions of years–random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
August 11th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Darwin is easily the #1 Thinker of the Second Millennium.
No doubt, His work is most valuable to humanity.
August 11th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
In science , the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.
The power of a theory relates to how well it can be explained, as against the assumptions put forward as well.
In life,we usually assume too many things instead of checking them out and coming to a conclusion. We assume that we will continue to be healthy even though we are smoking heavily and drinking to excess. We assume that the competition out there is not very powerful or a threat to our business,instead of checking out the exact nature of the competition.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
and further to Rae’s comment, “fitness” was originally in reference to ability to reproduce. Correct on noticing it has nothing directly to do with physical fitness
August 11th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
“Each member of a species was thought to have descended from it’s own Adam prototype which was created by GOD in a momentous and strenuous burst of designer energy.”
I’m not a theist, but I find this sentence interesting. Atheist assume no God exists, but look to Darwin’s theory to explain what is going on. Complexity came from simplicity. Fair enough, you might say, but where did the replicators come from?
Did they just spring forth into being or were they created by an intelligent designer. Perhaps they could have been created by such a being, and then left to their own devices. Perhaps it’s all just a coincidence. Something to think about though, right?
August 11th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
“Only those offers that are good enough at getting themselves copied–the fittest–survive”
this is obvious and invariable truth
August 11th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
In the Judeo-Christian-Islamic (JCI) religious theory, each species was seen as a separate direct line of member creatures originating from the first of its kind which was created personally by GOD
It is amazing that intelligent people could have accepted this premise for so long just as part of their unconditional, unquestioning faith
August 11th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes. The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power
August 11th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
“In science, the power of a theory is the number of things it explains divided by the number of things it assumes.”
How can we relate this to business? I find we often assume too many things and realise them too late. A very interesting idea to ponder..
August 11th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
“allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.”
People do what they are used to doing or like remaining on auto-pilot. They will continue to do an action even if it doesn’t work or is not in their best interest.
To me the statement is a combination of The 100th Monkey and Group Think. The group will keep thinking the same way until one monkey has a more desirable solution.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:33 am
“His theory of evolution was explained by the survival of fitness”
I wonder why this keeps morphing into ‘fittest’ which conjures visions of Awfully Healthy People all extrovert, loud, and resource-consuming.
Fitness to survive may well mean something entirely more modest, frugal, and appropriate for the environment in which the being finds itself.
And there’s the mindset of any bunch of people that finds itself inspired by a One. Emulation. Being god on earth. With hindsight - wouldn’t it have been great if those Fittest folk had perished before they decided to overuse resources and propagate themselves like rampant weeds…
August 11th, 2008 at 10:41 am
“The more things that can be explained by a theory that assumes as little as possible is what gives the theory its power.”
This quote is a complete sentence thought and as such provides a specific conclusion, but it is also the starting point for a new series of thought and as such a challenge of sorts.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Darwin’s Theory explains the existence of a billion well-adapted species by simply assuming genes exist.
Wow! just by assuming he was that great… Man That must of been awesome!
August 11th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Before Darwin the only explanation for the origin of the diverse array of different species on earth was the JCI Monotheistic Theory of GOD.
I am astounded that religions seem to have had the monopoly on
thinking at that time..
August 11th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Much food for thouighht. With deBono since 1948. Tops. Still ahead of his time. Still works wonderfully *
August 11th, 2008 at 9:03 am
random mutations or variations in the copies of each generation allowed for the fittest copy to survive and pass its adaptation on to the next generation.
I find this interesting because generation after generation the fittest is allowed to survive. This to survive we have to compete to be strong.