MAGIC BULLET
Charles François (2004). MAGIC BULLET, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 1981.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1981 ▶ |
| Object type | General information |
- “Some invention that, when widely distributed, will make a problem disappear without leaving more problems in its wake” (S. FULLER, 1995, p.53).
FULLER asks: “Why do scientists fall so easily into the trap of thinking in terms of magic bullets shooting at magic targets?” In his opinion the main reason is that “scientists are consistently taught to think about science as quite different — and perhaps even independent — from the rest of society” (Ibid)… not to speak of the environment in general.
Tinkering merely with a proximal cause, or even only with some immediate effect, is a result of the nonsystemic ivory tower style of work, proper of many specialists, combined with the cultural conviction that “Science” is all-powerful.