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The Half-life Of Facts: Why Everything We Know Has An Expiration Date (2012)

by Samuel Arbesman(Favorite Author)

3.38 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

159184472X (ISBN13: 9781591844723)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Current Hardcover

review 1: 4.5 stars.An interesting read. The author writes similarly to Malcolm Gladwell and the author of Predictably Irrational, but jumps around a bit more, slowing down reader understanding. Some really interesting subject matter though. It's interesting that we think of "facts" as static, but within our liftetimes about 40% of what we consider to be unchangable realities will in fact change.Most helpful for me as a librarian, there is an analysis of how quickly information within each field becomes obsolete. This tells me how often to weed out books in each subject, keeping a relevant collection.
review 2: This book addresses the topic of scientometrics - the scientific study of science itself. Arbesman looks at the accuracy of different fields of science and how q... moreuickly established facts are overturned. He makes a good philosophical point - that we need to consider our facts a current best estimate that will be progressively changing and improving. He rightly points out the serious flaws in the systems of funding and publishing scientists right now. less

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