Has every fact we’ve ever known undergone revision or reversal?
It’s a provocative and consequential idea, and one that complexity scientist Samuel Arbesman argues has some truth to it — even if he wouldn’t state it that strongly. On today’s episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we talk with Arbesman about his 2012 book, The Half-Life of Facts: Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration Date.
If facts about our world are constantly shifting, shouldn’t the protection of free speech — the right to openly question the world and all we believe about it — become even more critical? We explore what, if any, implications Arbesman’s argument has for those who care about free speech and open inquiry.
Show notes:
- Podcast transcript
- http://www.Arbesman.net
- “World citation and collaboration networks: uncovering the role of geography in science”
- “Non-compete Agreements: Barriers to Entry … and Exit?”
- “How a Copyright Mistake Created the Modern Zombie”
“Undiscovered Public Knowledge” by Don R. Swanson
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