Transcript Paradigms & Paradigm Shifts

The paradigm, or world view, that the earth was fixed at the center of the universe is
the classic example of how difficult it is to "Think Outside the Box", and how
persuasive current paradigms are in maintaining themselves.
Lateral Thinking
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Lateral thinking is a term coined by Edward de Bono, a Maltese psychologist, physician and writer.
It first appeared in the title of his book New Think: The Use of Lateral Thinking, published in 1967.
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De Bono defines lateral thinking as methods of thinking concerned with changing concepts and
perception. Lateral thinking is about reasoning that is not immediately obvious and about ideas that
may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic.
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There are four critical factors linked with it. They are:
1. Recognize dominant ideas that polarize perception of a problem
2. Searching for different ways of looking at things,
3. Relaxation of rigid control of thinking
4. Use of chance to encourage other ideas
• Paradigm: A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and
practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the
community that shares them, especially in an intellectual
discipline.
Paradigms
&
Paradigm Shifts
• In “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” Thomas Kuhn
argued that science is not a steady, cumulative acquisition of
knowledge.
• Instead, science is "a series of peaceful interludes punctuated
by intellectually violent revolutions" [Nicholas Wade, writing for
Science], which he described as "the tradition-shattering
complements to the tradition-bound activity of normal science."
• After such revolutions, "one conceptual world view is replaced
by another" [Wade].
Thomas Kuhn
• Paradigm shift is the term first used by Thomas
Kuhn in his 1962 book The Structure of Scientific
Revolutions to describe a change in basic
assumptions within the ruling theory of science.
• It has since become widely applied to many other
realms of human experience as well.
• A scientific revolution occurs, according to Kuhn,
when scientists encounter anomalies which cannot
be explained by the universally accepted paradigm
within which scientific progress has thereto been
made.
• The paradigm, in Kuhn's view, is not simply the
current theory, but the entire worldview in which it
exists, and all of the implications which come with it.
There are a number of "classical cases" given for
examples of Kuhnian paradigm shifts in science
• The transition from a Ptolemaic cosmology to a
Copernican one.
• The acceptance of Plate tectonics as the explanation
for large-scale geologic changes.
• The transition between the worldview of Newtonian
physics and the Einsteinian Relativistic worldview.
• The term "paradigm shift" has found uses in other
contexts, representing the notion of a major change
in a certain thought-pattern — a radical change in
personal beliefs, complex systems or organizations,
replacing the former way of thinking or organizing
with a radically different way of thinking or organizing.
• The phrase has been abused in "marketing speak",
and is often considered a meaningless buzzword in
this context.
• This is now so widespread that Larry Trask lists it in
his book Mind The Gaffe as a phrase never to use,
and he advises caution when reading anything that
contains this phrase.
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• During periods of normal science, the primary task of scientists
is to bring the accepted theory and fact into closer agreement.
• As a consequence, scientists tend to ignore research findings
that might threaten the existing paradigm and trigger the
development of a new and competing paradigm.
• For example, Ptolemy popularized the notion that the sun
revolves around the earth, and this view was defended for
centuries even in the face of conflicting evidence.
• In the pursuit of science, Kuhn observed, "novelty emerges only
with difficulty, manifested by resistance, against a background
provided by expectation."
• A fundamental theme of Kuhn's argument is that the typical
developmental pattern of a mature science is the successive
transition from one paradigm to another through a process of
revolution.
• When a paradigm shift takes place, "a scientist's world is
qualitatively transformed [and] quantitatively enriched by
fundamental novelties of either fact or theory.”
• New paradigms always provide an improvement, not just a
different explanation.
• A new paradigm completely expunges the old, previous,
paradigm.
The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain
Frank Gehry, Architect
Herman Miller ‘Aeron’ chair
designed by Don Chadwick
and Bill Stumpf
Herman Miller ‘Eames Lounge’
designed by Charles and Ray Eames
Hand made cork lounge, left,
made by Daniel Michalik
made of waste cork from the factories where corks are made
Ford Model T
“you can have it in any color you want as long as that is black”
The Aston Martin Vanquish