In my tribe, I’m particularly fond of two people: Milton Friedman (1912 – 2006) and James M. Buchanan (1919 – 2013). Both were associated with the University of Chicago. Both were awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in economics: Friedman in 1976 and Buchanan in 1986.
About Friedman, the wiki states: Continue reading “Institutions, not People”
Two of the greatest science fiction writers of the 20th century were Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992) and Arthur C. Clarke (1917 – 2008). Their works have enduring value. Based on a short story by Clarke, Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” is among the best in its genre. Watch it if you can. Don’t say, “I’m sorry Atanu, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Asimov and Clarke, besides being great science fiction writers, were particularly fascinating in their technological predictions. They combined rigorous scientific knowledge with imaginative extrapolation. Their vision of the future could be said to be prophetic even but there’s a distinction between prophesy and prediction.
The methodology behind predictions can usually be explained and scrutinized. Predictions rely on observable, measurable phenomena and logical inference, while prophecies typically rely on claimed supernatural, spiritual, or intuitive knowledge that can’t be empirically verified in the same way. Continue reading “Technological Predictions”
Atanu Dey : Life is a Random Draw 