By Alain Prud’homme

The word paradigm in the scientific or design professions is used to indicate a pattern, model, outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype. These paradigms are the conceptual frameworks that provide a unified perspective over a range of experiences.

Since students mainly learn from and are mentored by others who learned the foundation in their respetive fields from identical models there is seldom any disagreement over the fundamentals. Men whose research is based on shared paradigms are faithful to the same principles, rules and standards in their scientific practice.

Openness to the diversity of thought is generally not welcomed and considered a threat in the majority of professional fields most of which are still dominated by models rooted in old paradigmatic thought.

In the majority of, if not all, scientific fields it is unfortunate that the political and financial institutions that control licensure, standards of ethics, and third-party payments, are rooted in the old paradigms and continue to hold the exclusive rights to define and regulate professional practice.

Most scientists participate in what can be considered as ‘normal science’. ‘Normal Science’ in this context is any activity consistent with the existing paradigm and provides relatively small gains in the field as a rule.

When the existing paradigm fails to explain a number of new phenomena or concepts, the science goes into a time of crisis during which a paradigm shift can occur. These paradigm shifts allows for new growth, new creativity, new ideas, new models—and ultimately a new age.

Throughout the history of the science, paradigm shifts have allowed us to explain previously unexplainable phenomena. Science introduced and continues to introduce a number of paradigm shifts that change our perception of the universe and of who we are. These paradigm shifts opened up new avenues and new fields to explore.

“It’s not easy being seen if you find information that does not support the accepted views because the supporters of the accepted views have publicity, money and power to grant degrees. Going along is how proponents of the accepted view obtained their degrees, how they obtained funding and how they obtained their publicity. So how could so many smart people have got it so wrong? A few got it wrong; the rest went along. Self interest, not science, ensured the status quo.” – C. J. Ransom.

Here is an example of a paradigm shift in physics. In physics the string theory (now M-theory) proponents originally worked in 10-dimensions. There was a minority group of physicists who believed that there should be 11-dimensions. Those who believed that there should be 11-dimensions were practically excommunicated from the ranks of physicists. However the 10-dimensional model of string theory had a problem with the maths something the 11-dimensional model did not have. It took a long time, with considerable infighting, but now the 11-dimensional model is now the accepted model. Even then, like all theoretic models, some scientists have questioned the tangible successes of M-theory given its current incompleteness, and its limited predictive power, after so many years of intense research.

Cosmology is now in the midst of its own paradigm shift. Many scientists (away from universities) have ditched the big bang theory in favor of an electric universe. The electric universe grew out of a broad interdisciplinary approach to science, based more on observations and experiments than abstract theory and recognized the connections between diverse disciplines.

This is a fascinating journey in the world of scientific ideas that are likely to shape the intellectual scenario of the third millennium.

Most revolutions in science have come from people who taught themselves outside the academic system and were not constrained by the fallacies and fashions of the day. It has been well documented that modern institutions of science operate in such a way as to enforce conformity by preventing the research and publication of revolutionary ideas. Enlightenment has to come from outside academia.

Unfortunately science is vulnerable to the vested interests and biases of its practitioners as the ‘Global Warming’ (renamed ‘Climate Change’) scam has show only too clearly.

Regrettably we are in need of a major paradigm shift when it comes to the micro-generation of free energy. The paradigm shift is not only needed in the scientific community but in the political arena as well.

It is unfortunate that our species has a strong tendency towards herding, a dislike to contrariasm and a strong desire for acceptance and popularity. People fear change, our so-called “leaders” even more, and are willing to hang anyone who dares think outside their limited imagination.

Most of what you get taught is lies. It has to be. Sometimes if you get the truth all at once, you can’t understand it. – Terry Pratchett.

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