Driving forces in physical, biological and socio-economic phenomena

0521859107......Page 1
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Preface......Page 13
Part I Bridging the gap between physics and the social sciences......Page 21
1 Probing bonds......Page 23
1.1 The Rutherford experiment......Page 26
1.2 Boiling points as test-probes......Page 30
1.3 Basic principles of the physics of mixing......Page 32
1.4 Immiscible liquids......Page 33
1.5 Physical properties of a mixture as a tool for exploring bonds......Page 34
1.6 Estimating the correlation length in social phenomena......Page 36
1.7 Outline of the book......Page 43
Appendix Gauging the links between two twinned communities......Page 44
2 The battle against noise in physics......Page 46
2.1 Improving the signal to noise ratio in the pendulum experiment......Page 49
2.2 Noise reduction in the detection of gravitational waves......Page 51
2.3 Pattern matching: a simulation......Page 52
3.1 The extreme value technique......Page 55
3.2 Pattern matching: knowing when and what to observe......Page 58
3.3 Reducing noise by adding up several realizations......Page 63
3.4 Confidence intervals and statistical significance......Page 70
3.5 Upgrading statistical tests......Page 74
3.6 Conclusion......Page 80
4 Equilibrium and metastable states......Page 82
4.1 Equilibrium restoring forces......Page 83
4.2 Probing the strength of equilibrium restoring forces......Page 86
4.3 Metastable states in physics and chemistry......Page 91
4.4 Metastability, seeds and forms of post-revolution societies......Page 95
5 Are the data reliable?......Page 100
5.1 The replication process for the Foucault pendulum experiment......Page 101
5.2 The replication process for cold nuclear fusion......Page 104
5.3 Biased suicide statistics......Page 105
5.4.1 Context......Page 110
5.4.2 Evidence......Page 112
5.5 Conclusions and perspectives......Page 119
Part II Macro-interactions......Page 121
6 Shaping the Zeitgeist......Page 125
6.1 Marketing campaigns: shaping the response of consumers......Page 126
6.2 Public relations campaigns: example of cell phones in cars......Page 131
6.3 Shaping the Zeitgeist: the promotion of neoliberalism......Page 135
6.3.1 The Road to Serfdom......Page 137
6.3.2 Influence of business associations......Page 139
6.4 Tangible effects of neoliberal policies......Page 146
6.5.2 Montesquieu and the balance of power......Page 151
Appendix From Edward Bernays to Isaac Asimov......Page 152
7 Bonds of vassalage......Page 155
7.1 Role of the United States in the First Vietnam War......Page 157
7.2 Ways and means......Page 165
7.3 Identification of interference through the coincidence method......Page 166
8.1 Land reform in Japan under General MacArthur......Page 170
8.2 How the strength of interpersonal interactions conditions human behavior......Page 171
8.3 Effects of absentee ownership in Ireland......Page 175
8.4 Effect of segmentation on the effectiveness of a social system......Page 176
8.5 Hardship as a side effect of absentee landlordism......Page 178
8.6 The absentee landlord paradigm in history......Page 180
8.7.1 Colonization of Normandy by the Vikings......Page 181
8.7.2 Colonization of Mexico by the Spanish......Page 182
8.9 Present-day manifestations of the absentee ownership syndrome......Page 185
Part III Micro-interactions: a network explanation of suicide......Page 189
9 Effects of a male–female imbalance......Page 193
9.1 Suicide rates of unmarried versus married people......Page 194
9.2 Suicide rate in a population with a gender imbalance......Page 196
9.3 Designing the experiment......Page 198
9.3.1 An unsuccessful experiment......Page 199
9.3.2 Possible options......Page 201
9.4 Suicide rates as a function of sex ratio in groups of immigrants......Page 202
9.5 Cross-sectional analysis......Page 205
9.6 Male–female imbalance induced by war......Page 206
Appendix Suicide rate in a population with a sex ratio r  = 1......Page 210
10.1 Suicide rate of young widowers......Page 212
10.2 Effect of falling marriage rates......Page 215
10.3 Effect of a sudden upsurge in marriages......Page 217
10.4 Connection between mean age of marriage and suicide rate......Page 218
10.5 Longitudinal test......Page 219
10.6 Cross-sectional analysis......Page 221
11.1.1 September 11, 2001......Page 225
11.2 Effect of social isolation on suicide......Page 229
11.2.1 Suicide among inmates......Page 231
11.2.2 Suicide in solitary confinement......Page 232
11.3 Effect of a rearrangement of social ties......Page 234
11.4 Effect on suicide of the social disruption experienced by immigrants......Page 237
11.5.1 Immigrants with high suicide rates......Page 240
11.5.2 Effect of Hispanic immigration on US suicide rates......Page 242
11.6 Non-linear mixing relationships......Page 245
12 Apoptosis......Page 251
12.1 Apoptosis versus necrosis......Page 252
12.2 Role of apoptosis in the development of multicellular organisms......Page 253
12.4 Apoptosis in populations......Page 254
12.5 Apoptosis in groups of mammals......Page 257
12.6 Apoptosis in human societies......Page 258
13 Perspectives......Page 261
References......Page 263
Index......Page 272