From: Amara Graps (amara@amara.com)
Date: Wed Feb 21 2001 - 01:28:05 MST
From: John Marlow (johnmarlow@gmx.net)
>A while back I posted to the effect that scientists who become
>popularizers become largely UNpopular with other scientists
[...]
>Had a chance earlier today to put that Q to Steve Gould...
I'm afraid I didn't get your point. Your note was regarding
the idea of scientists who popularize science as suffering
backlash from colleagues, where you said that S. Gould noted
that things have changed in the last 30 years.
So then, well and good, I'm glad to hear it.
But where did this phrase:
>largely UNpopular with other scientists, who tend
^^^^^^^^^^
to look down upon such sharing of secret knowledge
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
with the unwashed masses
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
come from? Do these words come from _your_ experience
with scientists?
"secret knowledge" ??!! (== "science concepts" ??)
"unwashed masses" ??!! (== "nonscientists" ??)
I find these phrases antagonistic and a complete disconnect with
my knowledge and experience. I've been in the sciences 20 years,
and I've yet to encounter another scientist who treats
nonscientists with this kind of scorn, as you describe above.
Amara
********************************************************************
Amara Graps email: amara@amara.com
Computational Physics vita: finger agraps@shell5.ba.best.com
Multiplex Answers URL: http://www.amara.com/
********************************************************************
"Sometimes I think I understand everything. Then I regain
consciousness." --Ashleigh Brilliant
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