From: Adrian Tymes (wingcat@pacbell.net)
Date: Sun Jan 21 2001 - 10:50:25 MST
Emlyn wrote:
> As to whether another science q&a site/forum/list is needed, hell yes! Take
> this bit from Greg Burch's criticism of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon:
>
> Once again, we see the considerable talents of the pop culture machine
> invested in creating deceptive, seductive nonsense that divorces us from the
> real past and the real world, when the real past and the real world offer
> wonders aplenty.
>
> This got me thinking... Greg was talking about the dumbing down of western
> culture through uncritical use of supernatural influnces. The world is awash
> in mumbo-jumbo. A couple of days ago, for instance, I discovered that most
> of the parents I know in the local area, of kids who go to the same school
> as my daughter, don't have their kids immunised. The reason? Lots of rubbish
> about the body healing itself, putting disease into children is tantamount
> to child abuse, all sorts of crap. The same people are heavily influences by
> whatever faddish "alternative" nonsense is doing the rounds (nlp today, I
> believe).
>
> Talking about science is talking about verifiable stuff, as opposed to sheer
> crap. Doing a bit more of that, in an accessible way, that would be a
> worthwhile thing.
And that same chain of logic leads me to believe we should keep the tech
talk on the main list. Those who lurk are most likely to lurk the main
list, and we will draw more of them in if they see accessible stuff
being discussed than if everything on the list is completely removed
from their perceived reality. Without the tech, without the science,
without something we can point to as "...and this is how we plan on
doing it", what reasonable basis do we have left to believe what we
believe, and to convince others of it?
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