A Paper Related to AI, Medical Sciences, the Missing Key to Understand TCM

We all know how fast the work led by the PageRank paper of Google founders changed the world. But little attention has been paid to a paper of even greater importance.

https://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTotal-ZRZZ199001000.htm



Because the work is more on methodology than methods, it takes decades to inspire concrete work to build on its foundation in vast different fields. 

What I found interesting reading it now, almost 10 years after I first read it, is the conclusion even touched the social aspects of human societies. And look at the chaotic recent history, you might have your own conclusion of the paths western societies and eastern societies will take.

The reason brought me to write this blog, is the "forever" discussion of "Traditional Chinese Medicine is not scientific". The undertone is that TCM is not repeatable, not trustworthy, not standardized, rather something associated to the opposite of science and western medical science.

What the author Qian Xuesen clearly stated 30 years ago and in numerous other places are:

"Chinese medicine is an advanced life science, the evolutionary path of medical sciences."

"The direction of medical science in the 21st century is Chinese medicine, not western medicine."

Now we look at the original text:

实践已经证明,现在能用的、唯一能有效处理开放的复杂巨系统(包括社会系统)的方法,就是定性定量相结合的综合集成方法,这个方法是在以下三个复杂巨系统研究实践的基础上,提炼、概括和抽象出来的,这就是:

1.在社会系统中,由几百个或上千个变量所描述的定性定量相结合的系统工程技术,对社会经济系统的研究和应用多

2.在人体系统中,把生理学、心理学、西医学、中医和传统医学以及气功、人体特异功能等综合起来的研究,

3.在地理系统中,用生态系统和环境保护以及区域规划等综合探讨地理科学的工作.

在这些研究和应用中,通常是科学理论、经验知识和专家判断力相结合,提出经验性假设(判断或猜想),而这些经验性假设不能用严谨的科学方式加以证明,往往是定性的认识,但可用经验性数据和资料以及几十、几百、上千个参数的模型对其确实性进行检测,而这些模型也必须建立在经验和对系统的实际理解上,经过定量计算,通过反复对比,最后形成结论,而这样的结论就是我们在现阶段认识客观事物所能达到的最佳结论,是从定性上升到定量的认识.从上所述,定性定量相结合的综合集成方法,就其实质而言,是将专家群体(各种有关的专家)、数据和各种信息与计算机技术有机结合起来,把各种学科的科学理论和人的经验知识结合起来.这三者本身也构成了一个系统.这个方法的成劝应用,就在于发挥这个系统的整体优势和综合优势.

Google translate:

Practice has proven that the only method that can effectively handle open complex giant systems (including social systems) is a comprehensive integration method combining qualitative and quantitative methods. This method is the basis of the following three complex giant systems research and practice. The above, refined, generalized and abstracted, this is:

1. In the social system, a combination of qualitative and quantitative system engineering techniques described by hundreds or thousands of variables, the research and application of the social economic system are more

2. In the human body system, the physiology, psychology, Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, traditional medicine, qigong, and special functions of the human body are integrated research.

3. In the geographic system, use ecosystems, environmental protection, and regional planning to comprehensively explore the work of geographic science.

In these studies and applications, it is usually a combination of scientific theories, empirical knowledge and expert judgment to put forward empirical assumptions (judgments or conjectures), and these empirical assumptions cannot be proved by rigorous scientific methods, and they are often qualitative. , But empirical data and information, as well as tens, hundreds, or thousands of parameter models can be used to test its authenticity, and these models must also be based on experience and the actual understanding of the system. After quantitative calculations, through repeated Contrast, and finally form a conclusion, and such a conclusion is the best conclusion we can reach when we understand objective things at this stage, and it is from qualitative to quantitative understanding.

From the above, the comprehensive integration method combining qualitative and quantitative, in its essence, is to organically combine expert groups (various related experts), data and various information with computer technology, and integrate the science of various disciplines. The theory and human experience and knowledge are combined. These three themselves also constitute a system. The successful application of this method is to give play to the overall advantages and comprehensive advantages of this system.