>Engineering mode shuns uncertainty, because uncertainty may involve risk that corresponds to bad surprises. Discovery mode thrives under uncertainty, especially when a rare but beneficial result leads to finding something new, or a reduction of uncertainty in the face of making strategic decisions.
In summary, to understand the distinctions of Discovery and Engineering modes, one needs to have an appreciation for variation and the underlying distribution of outcomes expected while operating in each mode respectively. Without understanding the asymmetry in their outcome distributions, it would be difficult to convey how these work modes are different.
They wish they could but they lost their shirts in 08-09 thinking their ATM, I mean houses, would continue to allow them to do nothing and get rich like it had for the prevuois 25 years.
>What is the evolutionary advantage of being able to match abstract patterns? Assuming it increases evolutionary fitness, what is the cost of it that kept it from becoming universal?
Likely there is a tension between over- and under-fitting, with behavioral and evolutionary tuning always in flux as conditions change.
Preparedness should be driven by the precautionary principle in existential domains. Acting on facts may mean lagging behind points where prudence should be exercised.