Chapter 1 - Paradigms

Portent

Paradigm is a technical term, introduced by Thomas Kuhn in his seminal work The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. It is derived from the Greek word for pattern. The modern idiom is thinking out of the box. Many puzzles are paradigm puzzles, they are quite opaque until you question the blocking assumption. This is a skill which can be developed. The great revolutions in science were all paradigm shifts. Solving the quantum measurement problem likely requires a major paradigm shift.

Primary Docs

Paradigm Discourse:
Open the Boxes discourse in the next tab

Technical Chapter:
Open the Paradigms chapter in the next tab

Significance

Paradigms allow rapid assimilation in stable contexts, they are functionally valid stereotypes. But they hinder understanding in cases where hidden assumptions have become stale. They are hard, but science is uniquely placed to uncover them, and push through to the next one. The new paradigm subsumes the old, and allows easy solution to previously intractable problems. But, you are still in a paradigm, just a larger one - paradigms nest.