Efficiency vs. Diversity

[The2ndWheel]

Can they co-exist? I'm talking politically, economically, socially, etc.

I don't mean to keep this post so short, but if I get into too many variables it could get complicated and I'd lose everyone who might read this.

[Deja Q]

1. Within reason, yes.

If everybody is there for the same reason, there would be no problems.

Problems arise when personal desires override the common reason for everyone's involvement. Personal desires will always be a factor, but there are times they need to be contained.

[goodhue]

2. Diverse Systems are More Efficient

eom

[goodhue]

7. For example, look to the microbes . . .

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061024010417.htm

Source: Cell Press
Date: October 24, 2006

Diversity Promotes Cooperation Among Microbes

Science Daily — Understanding how cooperation evolves and is maintained represents one of evolutionary biology's thorniest problems. This stems from the fact that freeloading cheats will evolve to exploit any cooperative group that doesn't defend itself, leading to the breakdown of cooperation.

New research using the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens has identified a novel mechanism that thwarts the evolution of cheats and broadens our understanding of how cooperation might be maintained in nature and human societies. The new findings are reported by Michael Brockhurst of the University of Liverpool and colleagues at the Université Montpellier and the University of Oxford in the October 24th issue of the journal Current Biology, published by Cell Press.

Bacteria are known to cooperate in a wide variety of ways, including the formation of multicellular structures called biofilms. P. fluorescens biofilms are formed when individual cells overproduce a polymer that sticks the cells together, allowing the colonization of liquid surfaces. While production of the polymer is metabolically costly to individual cells, the biofilm group benefits from the increased access to oxygen that surface colonization provides. However, cheating types rapidly evolve that live in the biofilm but don't produce the polymer. The presence of cheats weakens the biofilm, imperiling its survival by causing it to sink.

In the new work, the researchers studied the effect of short-term evolution of diversity within the biofilm on the success of cooperation. The researchers found that within biofilms, diverse cooperators evolved to use different nutrient resources, thereby reducing the competition for resources within the biofilm. The researchers then manipulated diversity within experimental biofilms and found that diverse biofilms contained fewer cheats and can produce larger groups than non-diverse biofilms. The findings indicate that, as in ecological communities, biodiversity within biofilms is beneficial--moreover, the authors point out that this is the first time that such ideas have been applied in the context of social evolution, and it represents a new way in which cooperation can survive in the face of cheating. Furthermore, the new work sheds light on how division of labor within multicellular organisms may initially have evolved in order to minimize functional redundancy among cells and to increase efficiency.

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061024010417.htm

[Brigid]

3. Depends.

If you are jsut looking "efficiency" as an end unto itself, then no, the two are completely incompatible. But efficiency is not the end of it all if you're looking to build a decent society. To me, if you wnat to evaluate any society, consider these two questions: 1) How do they treat the least among them? 2) What kind of people does it produce? Efficiency doesn't really figure into the equation.

[goodhue]

5. no they are not incompatible

http://surge.ods.org/newness/dissimilar_diversity.htm

Regardless of the difficulties in quantifying "diversity", it is something to strive for. Humanity tends towards monoculture, whether through brute force or through assimilation and co-optation. Both types of diversity promote adaptability and unconventional approaches. They give the appearance of inefficiency, but that is an error of scale. In the long term, diversity promotes efficiency. This may take the form of new, exciting solutions to old problems or through resilience and adaptability in the face of new threats.

[Brigid]

6. They're incompatible if . . .

you equate efficiency with sameness, as many do. You're right, though, that in the end diversity works much better -- even if getting there isn't always pretty.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. No, they can't.

Only pure strength of will and a chalky whitebread uniformity can get our economy back on track.