The Half-Life of Facts with Samuel Arbesman: Why Knowledge Keeps Changing
The Innovation Show · The Innovation Show with Aidan McCullen
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Show Notes
Facts change — and that's a good thing.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman, complexity scientist and author of The Half-Life of Facts, joins Aidan McCullen to explore how what we know — and believe to be true — constantly evolves.
Together, they unpack how facts have a "half-life," why collaboration matters in a changing world, and how exponential knowledge growth reshapes science, strategy, and society.
In this episode:
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Why facts and truths decay over time
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How science self-corrects — from the Brontosaurus myth to the spinach iron story
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The concept of "meso-facts" — slowly changing knowledge
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How exponential growth drives innovation and discovery
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Why curiosity, humility, and adaptability are essential for leaders
📚 Guest: Samuel Arbesman — author of The Half-Life of Facts, Overcomplicated, and The Magic of Code.
🌐 https://arbesman.net | https://arbesman.substack.com
🎙️ Hosted by Aidan McCullen — international keynote speaker on change, transformation, and innovation, author of Undisruptable, and host of The Innovation Show.
💼 Brought to you by Kyndryl – helping leaders harness the power of technology for smarter decisions and faster innovation.
👉 https://www.kyndryl.com/ie/en/institute
📘 Connect with Aidan McCullen:
🌐 https://theinnovationshow.io
📰 Substack: https://thethursdaythought.substack.com
📕 Book: Undisruptable
🎤 Speaking: https://aidanmccullen.com