I’ve been reading “The Perfect Swarm” by Len Fisher. The subheading is “The science of complexity in everyday life” and Fisher tries to explain how patterns form in nature, how swarms of insects and humans take on specific forms and apparent purpose. On pages 29-31 he writes:
Individual bees in swarms follow the basic rules of avoidance, alignment, and attraction, but the swarm as a whole has something that locust swarms don’t – an ability to fly directly to a target that has been identified by scouts. The way the swarm does this provides the first clue to the processes by which swarm intelligence emerges.
“Well,” you might think, “it’s pretty obvious how they find the target. They use the well-known waggle dance. It’s the method that bee scouts use to tell the others where something is, such as a food source or a site for a new home. The scouts dance like teenagers in a disco, waggling their abdomens while moving in a tight figure eight. The overall direction of the dance points in the direction of the target, and the speed of the waggling tells how far away it is.
Unfortunately this explanation doesn’t provide a full answer. The dance is performed in a hive that is almost as dark as some discos, so only those bees nearby (about 5 percent of the total) see the dance. The majority doesn’t see it, so most bees start flying in complete ignorance. Those that have seen the dance aren’t even out in front, showing the others the way. They are in the middle of the swarm, flying with the rest. So how does the swarm find the target? …
Simulations have revealed that the knowledgeable bees do not need to identify or advertise themselves to the rest of the swarm to lead it successfully. Just a few informed individuals can lead a much larger group of uninformed individuals simply by moving faster and in the appropriate direction. Guidance is achieved by way of a cascade effect, in which uninformed individuals align their directions with those of their neighbors. Even if only a few bees know their way, Reynolds’ three rules – avoidance, alignment, and attraction – ensure that the whole swam moves in the direction that those knowledgeable bees take.
Leadership by these individuals arises, according to the computer modelers, “simply as a function of information differences between informed and uninformed individuals.” In other words, it needs only a few anonymous individuals who have a definite goal in mind, and definite knowledge of how to reach it, for the rest of the group to follow them to that goal, unaware that they are following. The only requirements are that the other individuals have a conscious or unconscious desire to stay with the group and that they do not have conflicting goals.
Is there a lesson to be learned from this for HBD? I think so. As reality wreaks havoc on the worldview of the Left, and their edifice of dogma crumbles, the masses will lose direction. They will be confused and come to resemble a leaderless swarm of bees. At that point it is up to us, those who have seen the dance of HBD to take the reigns of leadership (anonymously or nearly so) and lead them in the right direction. In the meantime, we should continue to create more and more light in order to maximize the number of people who see the dance.
There’s a benefit to the fact that Leftists have taken over the academies and media: now they’re the creators of “received wisdom.” Now they’re the ones against whom the next generation will rebel. I already see it on my own campus, in my own students: HBD (not as such, but HBD type principles) is the forbidden fruit. My students know that saying certain things will get them in trouble . . . and that’s creating a certain level of curiosity. Where I can, I subtly encourage that curiosity, and I like to think that it’s slowly leading more and more of them toward other ways of thinking.
@Alvarez80: good point, I hope you are right.
So students are aware of speech codes, speech restrictions, restrictions to constitutional rights like free speech and especially unbiased research.
That is a good start. So indoctrination backfires?
Too bad, the most outspoken academics just dies, Arthur Jensen and J. Philippe Rushton. Any candidates to fill their place will probably never ever get hired.
I have children in college and they absolutely know that they cannot say certain things or else risk all sorts of consequences. I tell them to speak up nonetheless. My daughter is constantly told she is “privileged.” Starting in elementary school, we found teachers/professors etc. HATE anyone who questions authority or is able to think outside the box. They seek to shut them down immediately and kill their spirit. Then they come home to me, where I lift their spirits back up. There are some real awesome youths out there who have figured out this mess already. Stay hopeful!
JAY,
Are sure that leftist policies will actually create enough havoc to make people look for new answers?
Has decades of corruption and poverty caused South American countries to adopt right wing policies? The white elite are even more rich and powerful in those countries than they are in the US.
Consider that a century ago the majority of the population had to work just to feed the population when now it is only a tiny percentage. Economic collapse will not cause starvation and the immigrants here already have lower expectations.
It’s hard to say what comes next.
No, I’m not sure about it. In Latin America whites form the elite but they have no guilt about it as far as I know. This is the status quo. In the U.S., whites are always trying to replace themselves as the elite. This should cause chaos.
I would say that in the US, elite whites are trying to turn middle class whites into slaves. The status of the white liberal elite still seems to be safe. So far the working class seems to be the only ones paying for liberal guilt of the elites.
I don’t think the leftist elites are trying to replace themselves. Look at how aggressive they are when it comes to getting advantages for their children. They will not tolerate minorities moving into the neighborhoods with the best schools. These are the most hypocritical people, their words don’t match their actions.
Interesting. Also, check this out.
“ScienceDaily (July 26, 2011) — Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society. The scientists, who are members of the Social Cognitive Networks Academic Research Center (SCNARC) at Rensselaer, used computational and analytical methods to discover the tipping point where a minority belief becomes the majority opinion. The finding has implications for the study and influence of societal interactions ranging from the spread of innovations to the movement of political ideals.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110725190044.htm
Yes. Very interesting. We only have to reach 10% of the population. Very doable I think.
Possible flyer? Nice summary of “yes-but” rejoinders to HBD arguments.
http://i.imgur.com/5Rssv.png