The Corpus Callosum

The Ubuntu craze is sweeping SciencBlogs: Aardvarchaeology, Scientific Indian, Greg Laden, Corpus Callosum, even PZ's kid.  

At SB, we strive for logic and precision.  Enough so, that we swoon over passages such as this one, from Gottfried Leibniz:

"The only way to rectify our reasonings is to make them as tangible as those of the Mathematicians, so that we can find our error at a glance, and when there are disputes among persons, we can simply say: Let us calculate [calculemus], without further ado, to see who is right." (The Art of Discovery 1685, W 51)

Even though Leibniz predated empiricism, scientific types are drawn to his love of logic.  Computer users, too, are fond of Leibniz: he invented the binary number system.  

Leibniz was a great thinker, as well as a great mathematician.  Scientists have long used the binary computers Leibniz made possible, to aid in their computations; however, they have not been able to use them to aid in their thinking.  Until now:



Previously, we had Ubuntu, Kubuntu (Ubuntu with KDE instead of Gnome), Xubuntu (Kfce instead of Gnome), Mythbuntu (Ubuntu set up to act as a media server/home entertainment center), Edubuntu (specialty version for schools), and Ubuntu CE (Christian Edition).

Just to illustrate the possibilities, I'll show what makes Ubuntu CE special:

Ubuntu Christian Edition includes the best available Christian software. The latest release contains GnomeSword, BibleMemorizer, the e-Sword Installer with Module Manager, The Word Installer, Firefox Web Browser with Bible Fox Theme and the WhatWouldJesusDownload Toolbar, and much more.

Ubuntu Christian Edition also includes fully integrated web content parental controls powered by Dansguardian. A graphical tool to adjust the parental control settings has also been developed specifically for Ubuntu Christian Edition. These features are truly what sets Ubuntu Christian Edition apart.

Imagine that.  What would Jesus download?  

With that as inspiration, we've come up with a concept: sbuntu, or ScienceBlogs -buntu.  It comes with exactly what you need and expect: presentation software, graphing software, all kinds of mathematical and publishing tools, citation manager, and it is preconfigured with links to PubMed, JSTOR, etc.

The personal information manager is special.  The contacts module has fields for the usual name, address, phone, pet's name, etc.  But it also has fields to keep track of information particular to academia: you can store the person's CV, publication list, favorite beer, and more.  You can click on their name to do a literature search.  After hours, if the person is not answering the phone, it will call a list of favorite pubs to try to locate the wayward egghead.

It makes lab management easier.  It keeps track of what chemicals you use, and what you need.  It can network with other labs.  So on that Sunday morning when your grant proposal is nearly due, and you just used your last gram of potassium permanganate, it can query nearby labs to find some you can borrow.  

Most importantly, sbuntu forces one to think in a highly logical fashion.  This is because it economizes on hardware, by using only binary notation.  You don't need a keyboard, mouse, or monitor.   All you need is a telegraph key and a speaker.  Dot-Dash-Dot=0-1-0.  It's breathtakingly simple.

By enforcing the rules of logic, it can change the world.  No more petty arguments. If there is any conflict, merely say "Let us calculate!"   You can both start dot-dash-dotting away to your heart's content.  I can guarantee there will be no more arguments.  

Any problem can be solved, one bit at a time.

You can see, of course, why scientists are fans of empiricism.  Using logic, it is possible to figure out anything.  So long as you know about every bit in the entire universe.  But it takes an awfully long time to do it that way.  

After spending a few hours with the bits, you may be tempted to take shortcuts.  That is the attraction of faith.  So long as you are not constrained by the need to have your results conform to observations, it is a quick way to settle things.

As long as everyone believes the same tenets.  

Admittedly, Sbuntu still is in early alpha.  Very early.  I guess there are no shortcuts.