The Half-Life of Facts
By Samuel Arbesman
Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration Date. Current, 2012.
Summary of The Half-Life of Facts book by Samuel Arbesman
An in-depth examination of how and why knowledge fluctuates, the half-life of information, and the effect these changes have over science, culture, and our everyday lives.
Chapters in The Half-Life of Facts book summary
What do you get from this book? The evolution of ever-changing knowledge and how to prepare for it
Facts are constantly changing, but today’s scientists can measure the speed of transformation and help societies stay organized
Change is not always linear, but exponential— scientometrics has developed a system for detecting patterns and measuring these changes
“Lazarus taxa” proves that facts can be overturned, but half-lives are different for every field
“Moore’s Law” demonstrates how quickly technology advances, while “S-curves” show how multiple technologies work together
Social networks have a strong influence on how quickly or slowly information spreads, even when that information is wrong
When multiple disciplines come together, solutions to long-held problems are more likely to be solved
“Phase transitions” demonstrate shifts in knowledge, allowing scientists to predict changes before they occur
Standardized systems for measurement can help scientists collect “precise” data, though it may not always be “accurate”
“Shifting baseline syndrome” is a type of bias that puts our own self-interests before the facts, often to unfortunate consequences
Dramatic shifts in knowledge can impact the world, but humans can adapt if they accept the inevitability of change
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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The Half-Life of Facts — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read The Half-Life of Facts book
Educators • students • scientists • historians • sociologists
About the author of The Half-Life of Facts
Samuel Arbesman
Samuel Arbesman holds a PhD in computational biology from Cornell University. His work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Wired magazine. He is the former Senior Scholar at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and previous Research Fellow at Harvard University. Currently, Arbesman is Scientist in Residence at Lux Capital, a venture capital firm.
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