Beyond the realms of the specialists: the challenge of the generalized

Abstract

Who could not hold in awe the achievements of today's specialists in science or technology? Moreover, the risks of overruling specialists can be catastrophic, as demonstrated by the Challenger disaster, to take just one example. Yet there are challenges still beyond the reach of the specialist. In the realm of medicine, there is the baffling Anorexia Nervosa. In veterinary science, there is the devastating foot and mouth disease. In the field of Internet gambling, there is another example of the need for a transdisciplinary teamwork approach to a behavioral problem. The result is that there is a need for a new role, the "specializing generalist".