Pandora's Hope

To frame the except from Pandora's Hope for myself I'd like to use an (familiar) analogy. The track as laboratory. Latour says, "I thought I was deep in the forest, bu the implication of this sign, '234,' is that we are in a laboratory." Just as Latour realized he was in a "minimal" lab, race teams - like those in F1 - find themselves on the lab of the track on a regular basis. Every effort is made to create an effective and extensive R&D lab in the field. Just as the restaurant owner numbers his tables and the botanist numbers the trees, the driver numbers the corners of the track, without these references these scientists are lost. A driver is certainly a scientist, as the pedologist works with the botanist the driver works with the engineer to perfect their science and research; each one taking the others references on building on them. The driver makes a reference to a sharp nose-in on corner 13, the engineer interprets this reference as an adjustment of .3 degrees of camber to the rear wheels. Why are people concerned with the research and reference of the predologist and the driver? Money of course, and the prestige that comes with a new discovery or winning the championship. Trickle down tech from F1 research is a big economic factor. Many common features today were originally found on experimental F1 vehicles. Having the edge in the auto industry is directly akin to having the edge in applied sciences. Advancement and research equals money. Whether that is an attractive offer or not is up for debate, however, that about the human factor? The pedologist is still a person who has expertise and a passion, he wouldn't roll dirt round in his hands and taste it is he didn't. Just as the driver rolls the car around the track and feels each bump and g-force. The scientists is lost to thwe forest while the driver is lost to the track.