How the theory of evolution governs the business world

This may only be of interest to science buffs.... But being a scientist as well as trying to stride in the world of business, I thought this would be of interest for those here who are striding both worlds to some degree too.... :)

In my earlier message I mentioned the work of Joseph Schumpeter, and his idea of "creative destruction" in entrepreneurship...

This idea means simply that as new products, services, and processes are created, many of them will supplant the older products, services, and processes.... So with the new creativity, if it is successful, inevitably comes some "destruction" of the old ways.... He didn't see economics as a theory of systems coming to equilibrium, but of constant "revolutions"....

When I read this, coming from a science background, I immediately thought of Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions and paradigm shifts.... There is an incredible parallel, it seems, between these two ideas. And furthermore, they both have a similarity to the ideas in evolution....

You could reinterpret Schumpeter's idea of "creative destruction" to fit it to science.... Where the creation of a new, superior theory "destroys" to some degree the old theory...

For example, the way that Copernicus's heliocentric system of planets made the geocentric model of Aristotle and Ptolemy obsolete....

Or more recently, how discovery of the 3K microwave background to the universe (a remnant of the Big Bang) pretty much has made all other cosmologies (eg. the Steady State theory of the universe) obsolete....

(I'm picking these examples from physics since that's my area of specialty... :) )

Just thought i'd point that similarity out, for those motivated enough to look into it more through a dual interest in business and science.... :)

- Dien Rice