Exploration Through Example

Example-driven development, Agile testing, context-driven testing, Agile programming, Ruby, and other things of interest to Brian Marick

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Sun, 14 Dec 2003

Walk through the walls of knowledge guilds

The boundaries that separate art, science, medicine, literature, computation, engineering, and design and craft generally are not divinely ordained. The most galling of these boundaries are socially generated entities meant to protect the power-interests of knowledge guilds. This is not to say that that all research techniques are identical, or that their results are all equally valid under all circumstances: quantum physics isn't opera. But there exists a sensibility that can serenely ignore intellectual turf war, and comprehend both physics and opera. You won't be able to swing a grant or sing an aria by knocking politely at the stage door. They won't seat you at the head of the table and slaughter the fatted calf. But you can take photographs, plant listening devices and leave. If you choose, you can step outside the boundaries history makes for you. You can walk through walls.

## Posted at 16:50 in category /misc [permalink] [top]