In an opinion piece in the April, 2008 issue of "Scientific American" Robert Nadeau, who teaches environmental science and public policy at George Mason University notes that the founders of Neo-classical economics, W.S.Jevons, Leon Walrus, Maria Edgeworth and Vilfredo Paraeto did not derive from observation the rigorous mathematical formulations which were credited with transforming economics into a science. Instead they borrowed them from von Helmholtz who proposed them as a solution to lacunae in Newtonian physics to account for phenomena of heat, light and electricity. Other theories prevailed in physics, James Clerk Maxwell's Electrical Field Theory and Boltzmann's formulations in thermodynamics, for instance. Physicists and mathematicians told the economists that there was no theoretical basis for substituting economic variables for physical variables in Helmholtz's equations, but they were undeterred. This "borrowing" was forgotten and subsequent generations of "mainstream" economists accepted the claim that the theory was scientific.
You know, you should do a "lazy quote diary" just on that opinion piece.
I have been thinking of doing something like that. However, I am new to ET and to the use of hyperlinks and HTML. I have seen references to "lazy quotes" in the New User Guide, but may have failed to grasp something fundamental as to the meaning. It still seems like work to me.
As it is, I often lurch around like a drunk on ET, posting comments on Diaries other than those intended, mistaking people's intent, etc. and I am fain to further annoy and test patience. The Geezer part of my Tag IS NOT an affectation. At present I am functioning on four hours sleep, something I no longer do so well, and suffering a sore back from yard work yesterday. The insomnia was partly due to yesterday's discovery of Post Autistic Economics, courtesy of Coleman's diary. A flash of light in the darkness can do that to me. Well worth the insomnia. Like Rocky Raccoon, "I'll be better just as soon as I am able."
Thanks for the encouragement. As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
