Another reprint from Carnival of Anarchy

Once again the Shag is taking the lazy way out to increase traffic. Below is a reprint of the article he just posted over at Carnival of Anarchy. This, as all the real anarchists know, is Numero Uno; the collective blog dedicated to discussions about the big "A". This weekend's roundtable centered around the topic of Anarchism and Science and I see we have had quite a variety in the way of contributions. Some parts below are repeats of earlier postings on this blog but then you can't really get too much of a good thing. It's only logical.

The subject of anarchism and it's relationship to the sciences can be approached from a number of perspectives. In my original write-up I had implied posters might focus on different areas, applied science being one of the more obvious, and hopefully suggest ways new developments could contribute to a libertarian future. Of course as someone who actually works in one of the "good guys ", as a designer for a consulting and OEM organisation specializing in solar energy products, it's probably natural to try to do a little benign advertising. Those anarchists more sympathetic towards mutualist or progressive market models will appreciate that the "renewable energy " field is no longer a hobby for the well heeled or restricted to "pit pony" status for a relatively costly aerospace industry. Just a quick example here ... my employer has designed/built over eight thousand solar powered (photovoltaic) water pumping systems for the agricultural market in western Canada and parts of the midwestern United States. We also produce remote controlled direct current lighting systems i.e. traffic lights, signaling systems for highway weight stations, etc.. Many of these were designed by yours truly. Okay, enough with the commercial. For those interested in the physics you could do worse then refer to a couple of articles recently published in Shagya blog which, respectively, refer to the basic operation of photovoltaics "Solar energy in Canada ... Photovoltaics" and recent developments in lower cost carbon based semiconductors "Organic Semiconductors and Photovoltaics" . I'll have more to say on this subject a little further on. Another important area centers around work being done in human evolutionary biology. In his essay "Injustice, inequality and Evolutionary Psychology" a British doctor puts forwards a view towards the sociobiological reinvigoration of cognitive psychology and social behaviour. Now I have always had a feeling that the general dislike of natural science often exhibited by leftists of the past was in the main the result of fear, an almost overwhelming sense of nagging doubt, truly objective inquiry might undermine the moral basis of socialist ideas. The systemic case for Marxism is anything but sound but I believe anarchism is not quite so confined. Such work could give radicals and anarchists some hope that " the true is not always the enemy of the good". Another good example is the issue of the so-named "demographic transition". As the result of microcredit the improved situation of women have lead to a decrease in the birth rate, which in countries such as Bangladesh has dropped from 4.8 children to 2.6 in recent years, as well as a significant reduction in domestic violence. [However, small scale credit is not the complete answer especially in areas where poverty is overwhelming. Look for a new post on this subject. Coming soon to a blog near you ...]
One social anarchist stated the scientific method is nothing more than "amplified common sense". Therefore it makes me wonder why there are still people who claim that rational thought represents a mere ideological "viewpoint" as if there could be others. You either believe in reason or you don't. If particular individuals engaged in research are willing to sell themselves to the highest bidder, or for the next government grant, they not behaving any worse than the average politician or anyone else who accepts the mainstream view of life. But does this really have anything to do with science? It is necessary to understand quantum mechanics to build atomic weapons or nuclear power plants but it does it require such knowledge to understand that such things should not be built? The nuclear industry is a good example here since they long ago recognised weaknesses in the political left and have used these to indoctrinate their employees and the general public with the chimera of "jobs". It's a bit like the factory auction scene in the old movie "Canadian Bacon". Fortunately for us this doesn't always work. But within communities of scientific workers the old image of the hapless leftist who can not (say) distinguish Darwin and Jean Lamarck is hard to dislodge. (I've actually seen a marxist in the seventies, on television, trying to debate Shockley et al about racism. The former's lack of understanding about the meaning of natural selection was immediately jumped on by the opponent. It was both embarrassing and annoying.) Religious fundamentalists often use related tactics when confronted by atheists. They try to claim that lack of theistic belief is "just another" form of religion ( for that you can substitute the term "ideology") and therefore is somehow equivalent. My small hope is anarchism in practice will help to undermine these lies.

Finally I would like to refer readers to a couple of mags whose publishers and readers are serious about taking "science to the people". First of these is the older of the two, the well established "Home Power" which describes itself as the "Hands-On Journal of Home Made power". In the news-stands since 1987 HP provides information that modern "back-to-the-landers" need to get themselves " off the grid". They cover solar electricity generation, solar thermal heating, microhydroelectric systems and wind power. Included are instructions for estimating requirements and costs for domestic installations, an archive section, and articles on various topics of the day like the economics of hybrid vehicles. The second is Make magazine . "Technology on your Time" is their caption for a journal devoted entirely to DIY technology projects which in their words " unites, inspires and informs a growing community of resourceful people who undertake amazing projects in their backyards, basements, and garages ". Included on the site is a CAD filesharing program allowing contributors to share their project designs with other readers as well as projects pages, part sources, and a discussion forum.