Half-life of knowledge
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The half-life of knowledge is the amount of time that has to elapse before half of the knowledge in a particular area is superseded or shown to be untrue. The concept is attributed to Fritz Machlup (1962). For example, Donald Hebb estimated the half-life of Psychology to be five years.
The half-life of knowledge differs from the concept of half-life in Physics in that there is no guarantee that the truth of knowledge in a particular area of study is declining exponentially.
[edit] Reference
Machlup, F. (1962). Knowledge production and distribution in the United States. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
[edit] See also
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