"I have always felt that part of the skill of assessing information is the ability to recognize relative weights and values, how important one or another bit of data is relative to others."

You are right.

I am currently exploring my thoughts on what I call the general theory of relationships. It is far reaching as a teaching technique and should be an essential foundation of all ongoing research. The Relationships explored are not just between bits of data but between all things and everything else.

This is not a new idea but its presentation is captivating and thought provoking especially in the area of helping to decide what is safe, feasible and beneficial in applying new science as in the field of synthetic biology and nano technology.

Far too often we are not considering any interconnected relationships when we release new drugs or technologies. Instead of taking a Cartesian view or relying only on a cost risk POV we need a new General Theory of Relationships. Some scientists don't even think in terms of the effect that can spread to every other "networked" system in the universe by way of 6 degrees.

We stand between the very small quantum scale and very large multiverse branes. It seems that these two vastly different size scales are like two locked boxes with the key to open them in the other box. We are getting closer to being able to pick the lock of one or both boxes.

As humans we may never be able to see a google moves ahead in the cosmic chess game but we damn well better get started.
Even a rudimentary Relationship Theory smell test could make the difference between a wondrous advance or extinction.

whadduyathink