Reply #6: One of my biggest "pet" hobbies are studies of truth and information.... [View All]

[Poll_Blind]

...systems- basically how information spreads from one person or group or intellectual sphere to another. For instance let's say there's some information which is important to BOTH NASCAR fans and microbiologists. But only the NASCAR fans and their existing information structures (web sites, word of mouth, word of mouth at races, what-have-you) know about it. I'm very interested, personally, in tracking how the information spreads from one intellectual sphere (which doesn't imply level of intelligence, necessarily) to another. If not, why not and what hindered the flow?

For instance, a few years ago during the standoff between India and Pakistan there was a report which I could only find in the Hindustan Times about a certain Indian general, IIRC, who'd positioned his tank battalion well-forward of all the others and whose posture with that armor was pre-strike attack posture. It appeared as though this general, reading between the lines, might have wanted to "start some shit" with the Pakistanis which could have touched off an actual nuclear exchange between the two groups. The Bush administration actually alerted the Indian government to this matter (including satellite photos) and the general was relieved of duty which implies that there was a good deal more to this rogue general's behavior than the article was aware of.

But this information never left India. Why not? Understanding the flow of information from one country to another, from one intellectual sphere to another interests me a great deal.

A more personally compelling example. There are news stories at a state or county level which never become national news. Let's say that an Alabama state trooper's car is hit by a high-powered .223 rifle round. Could be from a number of things or reasons. However, in four other states on the same day something similar happens. But outside of law enforcement aggregation, which I am not privy to, the information goes unrecognized nationally. However, only after aggregating this information could you say "Well, is there a pattern here? Who's taking shots at state troopers and why?"

This "arab truck driver" story piqued my interest and I wanted to do a life-cycle model of the story now that it's "dead". I'm interested in seeing where it moved from and where to in an attempt to understand why as opposed to another story with X or Y content.

Sorry for the long answer- it's Saturday and I'm caffeined-up.

PB