As people embrace specialization, and the knowledge silos that come with it, no one is left with a broader comprehension of how the pieces fit together. In an infected system, a malignancy can easily spiral out of control with no one the wiser. Take global warming, for example. A basic knowledge of chemistry and the work of John Tyndall 150 years ago provides the most elementary demonstration of how human activities have to be contributing to environmental warming. Should we have economists steering our economy who have no understanding of the relationships between chemistry, our lives, our planet, our very existence?