----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Tobis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Newsgroups: gmane.science.general.global-change To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2007 11:58 AM Subject: [Global Change: 1389] Interesting DOE initiative
> > I am curious as to what the group's opinions might be on this project: > > http://www.science.doe.gov/ascr/Misc/Energy-ecology-security-initiative.pdf > > Would anyone care to comment? > > mt > A few flip remarks based on first impressions. How does this differ from the popular computer game SimCity? In broad outline, it is reminiscent of Jay Forrester's efforts on World-System and Urban-System simulations, and also of Buckminster Fuller's "World-Game" concept. If done properly, such a program should inspire endless political debates about what to do with a model of the real world, rather than endless political debates about what to to with the real world. I imagine that those interested in the exercise might entertain the idea that having a logical and scientifically valid model of the world would settle debates by showing the outcomes of experiments in the model world before doing the experiment in the real world. I suspect that wish would be frustrated since the choice among desirable outcomes will always be rooted in political debates among actors with varied interests vested in irreducibly conflicting values. So I'm skeptical that having the benefit of this great knowledge integration system would make energy, environmental, industrial, agricultural, or security policy any easier to craft or conduct. But I do enjoy SimCity, and I'd support the project as a fun learning experience. -dl --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Global Change ("globalchange") newsgroup. Global Change is a public, moderated venue for discussion of science, technology, economics and policy dimensions of global environmental change. Posts will be admitted to the list if and only if any moderator finds the submission to be constructive and/or interesting, on topic, and not gratuitously rude. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/globalchange -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
