Why convergent science?
Π has adopted the philosophy of a convergent
science approach because a convergent science approach, or rather
a cross-disciplinary, cross-perspective approach, is necessary in
addressing emerging technologies that require a knowledge and
understanding of the dimensions that are of the nanoscale (10-9
meters) and below. At the nanoscale, the macroscopic rules that
modulate the properties of bulk materials are irrelevant and the
fundamental quantized properties emerge, giving opportunities to
control these properties and build on them in such a systematic
way that these properties can be retained in the bulk material.
The nanoscale also approaches the dimensional limits of the simple
building blocks that make up life, and at this fundamental scale,
all the laws of philosophy and science (philosophical
investigations) converge and synergize. Π believes that it is to
this converged school of thought that we must return to, armed
with the knowledge that has been accumulated over the years, to
reassess the interpretation of our understanding the fundamental
properties of quantized materials and broaden the experimental
approaches that have led to the rules of science that we have
developed for use today.
Nanotechnology, one of the foundations of our technical expertise
at Π, requires the knowledge of how to build a phenomenon or
property into a material from the "bottom up" – through an
exploitation of the either the particle-like or wavelike
properties of nanosized architectures of building blocks. That is
why the Π paradigm brings together the independent R&D areas of
the technical (physics, engineering, biology, chemistry, computer,
mathematics, medicine) and social (social and psychological)
sciences with philosophical minds" capable of adroit thought,
understanding, and an ability of coalescing the disconnected
sciences, to spearhead the evolution of empirical approaches that
leads to new understandings of the world we live in, and the
uncovering of novel phenomena that can be further used as
platforms for the creation of (i) scientific concept(s) leading to
technological advancements that leads to the betterment of life,
and (ii) of social concepts that lead to the betterment of our
societal quality of life, with the aim of developing equity from
such concepts.
The mechanism that leads to the aforementioned outcomes hinges on
the capacity for Π to maintain itself as an environment where
intellectuals of disparate disciplines and environments (academia,
industry and government) can integrate to discuss, conceptualize,
develop, and build collaborations and partnerships in R&D areas
that overlap with Π's mission, or that provide mechanism(s) to
enhance the production of equity through rapid dissemination of
advances engendered from such R&D.
|