Science, Strategy and War The Strategic Theory of ... - Boekje Pienter

what applies to science and engineering also applies to life in general. Novelty, Boyd asserts,‘is not only produced by the practice of science/engineering and the pursuit of technology, itis also produced by the forces of nature, by our own thinking and doing as well as by others.Furthermore, novelty is produced continuously, if somewhat erratically or haphazardly. Now,in order to thrive and grow in such a world we must match our thinking and doing, henceour orientation, with that emerging novelty. Yet, any orientation constrained by experiencesbefore that novelty emerges (as well as by the Grand Message discussed earlier) introducesmismatches that confuse or disorient us. However, the analytical/synthetic process,previously described, permits us to address these mismatches so that we can rematch therebyreorient our thinking and action with that novelty. Over and over this continuing whirl ofreorientation, mismatches, analysis/synthesis enables us to comprehend, cope with, andshape as well as be shaped by novelty that literally flows around and over us’ 98 .So, Boyd has established the link between the dynamics of science and engineeringand life, which makes the foregoing discussion interesting also for its pragmatic insights. Buthe has not addressed yet how this relates with winning and losing. As Boyd states: Yet, uponreflection, we still have a puzzle: why does our world continue to unfold in an irregular,disorderly, unpredictable manner even though some of our best minds try to represent it asbeing more regular, orderly, and predictable? 99 More pointedly, with so much effort oversuch a long period by so many people to comprehend, shape, and adapt to a world that wedepend upon for vitality and growth, why does such a world, although richer and morerobust, continue to remain uncertain, everchanging, and unpredictable? 100The answer, and the final piece of the argument comes from connecting noveltywith uncertainty. Very simply, Boyd says, ‘review of Destruction and Creation, this presentation,and our own experiences reveal that the various theories, systems, processes, etc. that weemploy to make sense of that world contain features that generate mismatches that, in turn,keep such a world uncertain, everchanging, and unpredictable 101 . Then Boyd produces a listwith entries drawn from a variety of scientific disciplines, all describing features that induceuncertainty:Uncertainty associated with the unconfinement, undecidability, incompletenesstheorems of mathematics and logic.Numerical imprecision associated with using the rational and irrational numbers in thecalculation and measurement processes.Quantum uncertainty associated with Planck’s Constant and Heisenberg's UncertaintyPrinciple.Entropy increase associated with the Second Law of Thermodynamics.Irregular and erratic behavior associated with far from equilibrium open nonlinearprocesses or systems with feedbackIncomprehensibility associated with the inability to completely screen, filter, orotherwise consider the spaghetti-like influences from a plethora of everchanging, erratic,or unknown outside events.Mutations associated with environmental pressure, replication errors, or unknowninfluences in molecular and evolutionary biology.Ambiguity associated with natural languages as they are used and interact with oneanother.98 Ibid, p.28.99 Ibid, p.29.100 Ibid, p.30.101 Ibid, p.31.266