Jared Diamond

1. Please describe the background of the dispute between Dr. Samuel Huntington and Dr. Serge Lang.

Both Dr. Samuel Hunting and Dr. Serge Lang are scientists. Dr. Huntington was an academic scholar that was attempting to become a member of the National Academy of Sciences, but Dr. Lang objected to hies request statistics opinion and not valid scientific data.

1. How did Lang respond to Huntington’s “pseudo mathematics?”

Lang responded to Huntingtons "pseudo mathematics" by sending out large packages of documents attempting to discredit Huntingtons data.

1. What aspects of the dispute between Lang and Huntington are “political?” How does the author, Jared Diamond, feel about “Academic Freedom?

"Huntington had done several things that are now anathema in U.S. academia: he received CIA support for some research; he did a study for the State Department in 1967 on political stability inSouth Vietnam; and he's said to have been an early supporter of the Vietnam war." The majority of Huntingtons debates have references to his political involvement. Jared feels that Academic Freedom is unfair, and that is it imposing Huntingtons ability to have free political liberty.

1. Why does the NAS exist? Why does this make that attacks against Huntington seem peculiar?

NAS exsists so that the US could have a purley scientifc group that discussed and could be consulted for various issues. This makes the attacks against Huntington seem very particular because he appeared to be doing exactly what NAS was meant to do, but was denied membership for what he was doing.

1. Why does Diamond find fault in the traditional perceptions of the hard sciences?

Diamond finds fault in the the traditional perceptions of the hard sciences because he thinks that: " the enterprise of explaining and predicting -- gaining knowledge of -- natural phenomena, by continually testing one's theories against empirical evidence." He believes that this can be done in any which way, with a test tube or not.

1. Why are soft sciences difficult to study?

He believes that soft sciences are difficult to study because social variables can not be controlled fully. Also there is the problem that it is impossible to control when social situations stop or arise.

1. How did the NAS need to change in the early 1970s?

In the early 1970s NAS needed to start allowing scholars of social sciences to be allowed membership so that the government would also have consultation for social issues.

1. What are the problems in “operationalizing” a concept?

Operationalizing has many problems because it is more difficult and less exact in the soft sciences since it has so many uncontrolled variables.

1. Briefly describe how Diamond illustrates operationalizing in:

· Mathematics

The amount of bannans in a tree are able to be counted, in order to prove which has more by people.

· Chemistry

The concentration of sugars are able to be measured by people

· Ecology

The foliage hieght diversity index is able to be found by people.

· Psychology

Things like questionnaires and surveys can be used to measure patterns and certain behaviors by people.

10. What were Huntington’s operationalized concepts that provoked the wrath of Lang?

Huntington's operationalized concepts 'provoked the wrath of lang' because Lang felt that Huntington's statistics of frustration and instability were not scientific.

10. Why is the task of operationalizing more difficult and less exact in the soft sciences? Why does it lead to the ridicule of the soft sciences?

The task of operationalizing is more difficult because there is a larger amount of variables that can not be controlled. It leads to the ridicule of the soft sciences because people assume that they must know everything about human nature, because they are human. This is why other sciences are less challenged, for example people don't challenge or ridicule physics because they do not think that they are well informed enough on the subject to have any say in the matter.

10. Why does Diamond believe that Lang might be ignorant of the measurements taken by social scientists like Huntington?

Diamond thinks that Lang might be ignorant of the measurements taken by social science because it is such a new concept that he questions it, without questioning the same methods that he has always been taught as right in other sciences.

10. Does Diamond believe the labels associated with the sciences be replaced? Explain.

Diamond does believe that the labels associated with the sciences should be replaced. He thinks that they convey the wrong idea about each group, and attach bias to them before one can actually inquire what they are about. He also feels that soft sciences are much more difficult than hard sciences and that those names help add to the bias attached to them.

10. Does Diamond believe the soft sciences to be more valuable than hard sciences? Do you agree? Explain.

Diamond thinks that the soft sciences are more valuable than the hard sciences. I personally do not agree with this statement. I do not think that the soft sciences are completly valid because of the large amount of variables that is connected with them