Universal Rule

Book Reviews

Sunday, June 29, 2008

How to disagree? - Collaboration vs. fighting, women vs. men -- Comment()
Freakonomics blog discusses the nature of feedback from men and women: Why Does So Much Hate Mail Come From Men?

In all the hundreds of such pieces of hate mail I've received, not more than a handful have come from women.
...
Setting aside for a second that the readership is likely biased towards med, perhaps it's just your basic conflict vs collaboration? Men like to compete. Women like to collaborate.

This question arises a lot of further questions. As a completely different example, it is widely reported that in technology blogs there is a group of Mac users who are very aggressive and hostile whenever their "toys" are critisized. Thus, even though both Mac users and women may be a minority (in a certain context), the attitudes are completely different.

Changing the world -- Comment()
Chris Guillebeau wrote an interesting (although simplistic) pamphlet on how to set personal objectives and how to change the world. The two key questions are

What do you really want to get out of life?
What can you offer the world that no one else can?

These are interesting questions, and hard to answer. Thinking about the future is hard, and I'm not altogether convinced that it is productive thinking. But I can look instead at today: what kind of things would I like to do if I would be able to do anything.

Here is the thing: I wouldn't change much of the current situation. What I would like to change is the world. Make it better - more collaborative, more fair, more open, less cynical. And of course I would like to live a good life while doing that.

I believe computational science is a key area for solving the complex societal problems we are currently facing. Thus, promoting computational science is the key thing for me. Whether we are talking about climate change, bioscience or nanotechnology, computational science is needed to make progress. Thus, developing the knowledge and recognition of this field is essential for the society.

Currently I'm in a position where I can make changes happen. But it is not easy and fast - it takes time, constant discussions, and repeating the message again and again. I hope I can to a certain degree provide a bridge towards understanding.

I'm not a deep specialist, but I can help on the general level. And there are others who are willing to participate in the change. We can become a spring of insights, and act as stepping stones on the way to change.