Revisiting potential influence
A realization about potential influence can change general understanding about the possibilities for individual action. Deciding to take action toward a specific goal requires the thinker to determine the edge of what is possible. Individuals have the ability to take on a specific issue. Individuals have the ability to build or challenge a specific philosophy. Perhaps the greatest power individuals have is the potential for collaboration. At some level the written record allows individuals to work with thinkers of the past, present, and future.
Exponentially increasing in both capacity and content the written record is becoming harder to navigate. Reading the entire written record has been beyond the capacity of one individual for generations. Academic literature reviews, college textbooks, and general subject manuscripts have attempted to reduce parts of the written record to a more manageable size. Certain parts of the written record however remain elusive due to a combination of problematic complexity and general interest. Higher order mathematics and physics requires extensive notation to be readable.
Stephen Hawking has a very well developed understanding of several concepts in both mathematics and physics that are well beyond the current interest level of the general population. Reducing incredibly complex subject matter to a generally readable form Stephen Hawking decided to publish “A Brief History of Time” and “The Universe in a Nutshell.” In terms of potential influence the academic work of Stephen Hawking will be a part of academic treatments for generations. General publications written by Stephen Hawking reach a larger audience providing a greater level of understanding to society in general.
Does potentially influencing the understanding level of the general population or strengthening the academic written record have more value? For the purposes of this discussion please make the assumption that completed academic theories will always be presented in a generally readable format. When should specific parts of highly complex academic writings concerning incomplete theories be disseminated to a general audience? Introducing complex concepts to a general audience expands the number of thinkers considering potential solutions. Given that a potential solution could come from any number of sources the number of thinkers considering a problem probably increases the potential for resolution.
Please consider the following unlikely example. A university could charge each specific academic department to produce a chapter of a book introducing the topic the department studies and defining the contributions of the subject to society in general. After each of the specific academic departments finishes producing a chapter all of the chapters should be combined into a book for general audiences. An introduction to the book should be written by the university president explaining the nature of academic research and the general mission of the university system. Given that this example is extremely unlikely it does illustrate the potential for collaboration.
