HSHM 211 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Logistic Function, Peak Oil, Caprock

• School: Yale University
• Department: Hist of Science, Hist of Med
• Course: HSHM 211
• Professor: William Rankin

Document Summary

Science, business, and state (capitalism as political-economic system: land vs. water, prediction and sustainability, catastrophe and prevention. Eje(cid:272)t that s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)(cid:272)e (cid:449)ill sa(cid:448)e us, o(cid:396) that issues a(cid:396)e s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)tists(cid:859) faults, or that science has been corrupted by industry, government, technology. Mineral rights (vs. surface rights: owned by the government in every other country besides the u. s. In 1973, seven oil companies controlled 85% of oil reserves: today, big oil companies control 6, state-owned oil companies control 88% Peak oil predictions: hu(cid:271)(cid:271)e(cid:396)t(cid:859)s p(cid:396)edi(cid:272)tio(cid:374) fo(cid:396) u peak oil p(cid:396)odu(cid:272)tio(cid:374) i(cid:374) (cid:1005)9(cid:1011)(cid:1004) (cid:272)a(cid:373)e t(cid:396)ue. Is world oil production peaking: uncertainty, prediction, and trust, advancing technology and complex industry/govt. relationship, us military report: yes, bp: no, paradigms, trying to understand the world without perfect information, science-based capitalism also relies on models and predictions. Who is involved: not clearly partisan, and not pro-science vs. anti-science, mostly among insiders, military, govt, academics, consultants, oil companies, hardly anti-capitalist or anti-american.