From: Dan Fabulich (daniel.fabulich@yale.edu)
Date: Tue May 23 2000 - 23:36:07 MDT
Terry Donaghe directed:
> This guy sent me a link to his site after reading my review of "The Selfish
> Gene" on Amazon.com... I don't know whether to laugh or run away in fear...
> I really haven't a CLUE what he's talking about. Any ideas?
>
> http://www.conrado.net/
Sure. He's a physics grad who spent some time "seriously
investigating" various so-called "pseudo-scientific" New Age/"New
Science" stuff. He found it bunk. However, he's also disillusioned
with a lot of so-called "scientists" as well, especially Roger
Penrose, whom he sarcastically argues to be the head of the field in
both studies of the human mind and quantum gravity.
His writings feel odd because he challenges the bad arguments of each
side, New Age vs. "New Science", with the worst arguments of the other
side. Rhetorically, this would have been more effective if he had
explained what he was intending to do before he did it, but it works
anyway, once you're set to receive the charge. The object is to leave
you, in the end, very disappointed in both.
He rejects them both, leaving us only with the lame duck exhortation
to think think rationally. In the end, he endorses "rational"
science, but doesn't say much about what that is. Other than the fact
that it has something to do with what Carl Sagan and Arthur Clarke
were talking about.
-Dan
-unless you love someone-
-nothing else makes any sense-
e.e. cummings
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