Piranesi

by Susanna Clarke

The enormity of this task sometimes makes me feel a little dizzy, but as a scientist and an explorer I have a duty to bear witness to the Splendours of the World.

On being a scientists

Birds are not difficult to understand. Their behaviour tells me what they are thinking. Generally it runs along the lines of: Is this food? Is this? What about this? This might be food. I am almost certain that this is. Or occasionally: It is raining. I do not like it.

Life thoughts

perhaps the wisdom of birds resides, not in the individual, but in the flock, the congregation.

Group decisions of even the most simplistic intelligences are better

Abandoning the search for the Knowledge would free us to pursue a new sort of science. We could follow any path that the data suggested to us.

in its simplost form, data driven is using data without knowledgee

Perhaps that is what it is like being with other people. Perhaps even people you like and admire immensely can make you see the World in ways you would rather not.

Seek out other perspectives