Re: Popular(izing) Science

From: GBurch1@aol.com
Date: Sun Feb 18 2001 - 09:31:03 MST


In a message dated 2/9/01 11:53:19 PM Central Standard Time,
altamiratexas@earthlink.net writes:

> I wonder if the communications-gap is a result of "knowledge, belief, and
> behavior"--which we, as "natural" humans have the capacity to change--or if
> it betrays a limitation of "man's capacity for learning and transmitting
> knowledge." Perhaps the typical human mind is only capable of operating
> according to one view of reality. The only way to overcome such a
limitation
> would be to change the way the mind functions.

Excellent question, and one I think that continuing advances in cognitive
psychology will answer. In the meantime, I think there's an interesting
interplay between creativity and imagination on the one hand and
communication on the other. The best communicators are able to hold two
models or "views of reality" in their minds: The one they want to convey and
the one they imagine that their audience holds. The successful act of
communication involves building a bridge between these two models or
world-views, usually by searching first for places where the two models
overlap. The most successful communicators of the kind we need now are ones
who can make many bridges between multiple, very different world-views.

       Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
      Attorney ::: Vice President, Extropy Institute ::: Wilderness Guide
      http://users.aol.com/gburch1 -or- http://members.aol.com/gburch1
                                           ICQ # 61112550
        "We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know
        enough to get by. Every question we answer leads on to another
       question. This has become the greatest survival trick of our species."
                                          -- Desmond Morris



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