The question is how quickly. Here's yet another summary of what is in this weblog. Since April, we have shown that primary evidence of human knowledge, as shown in patents and academic publication, doubles at different rates for different sectors, ranging from 2 years for nanotechnology to 21 years for other sectors.
Secondary evidence, such as the number of university students and funding for research, varies by country. The OECD has reduced government funding for research (and the growth in patents and students in scientific disciplines) has dropped to zero. China and India, among others, are funding research and encouraging students to enter scientific fields, and they are seeing rapid gowth in publications, patents, research funding and students.
But the growth of Asian knowledge engines has not yet replaced the flattening of the growth curve in the developed world. This has led to uneven growth in knowledge--in sexy sectors like nanotechnology, growth is very rapid. In other areas, such as Alzheimer's Disease, it is not as rapid as one would think.
Hi,
Interesting blog. I am wondering if you ever found a site that gives an approximation on the amount of knowledge was acquired in the last 500, 250, 100, 50, and 25 years.
If so, can you tell me wer I could find that information.
Thanks
Denis
Posted by: Denis | 06/06/2008 at 10:15 AM
Hi Denis,
Je suis desolee--I have not found such a site. If you ever do, I'd love to hear about it.
Tom
Posted by: Tom Fuller | 06/06/2008 at 11:37 AM
Hi Denis,
Je suis desolee--I have not found such a site. If you ever do, I'd love to hear about it.
Tom
Posted by: Tom Fuller | 06/06/2008 at 11:37 AM
There is something here: http://www.peterrussell.com/WUIT/Language.php. Look for the mentioning of Georges Anderla.
Posted by: Hrvoje V | 01/14/2009 at 02:07 PM
Those figures look similar to the claims made by Robert Anton Wilson in Cosmic Trigger II
Posted by: Nicolas Merlinski | 06/30/2009 at 09:51 AM
http://www.project22.com/double-your-knowledge
1982. Buckminster Fuller.
Known as "Fuller's Curve"
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