From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Tue May 20 2003 - 20:12:13 MDT
Alex Future writes
> [quote from: Lee on 2003-05-17 at 09:21:04]
> Well, that I *didn't* know. CAT'S CRADLE executes the Big Lie? As I
> recall, the great scientist (\"any scientist who cannot explain what he
> is doing to an eight-year old is a charlatan\") creates ice-nine, and
> there is a lot of anti-science propaganda woven into the story, but I
> don't recall anything about \"soma\" (those little lies that are necessary
> in life) being done in emulation of Plato. But it's been almost 35 years.
>
> I'm guessing it was the Prophet Bokonon and the other guy, forgot his name,
> who was the military dictator of the island where Cat's Cradle is set. They
> started as best buddies but were pretending to be enemies so the people would
> have an outlet for their rebellious urges.
Oh, yes. Sounds right. BTW, I was wrong about "soma"; got the term
confused with Brave New World, I guess. The harmless lies in Cat's
Cradle are called "foma".
> Yes, it is too bad Vonnegut and a lot of other science fiction writers and
> social commentators don't really "get it" as far as science goes.
I am especially annoyed since I was a very impressionable 20 years old
when I read that, and it contributed to the malaise of the whole stupid
generation thing in 1968, which was very anti-science and anti-establishment
(e.g., studying and doing your homework and playing "the man's" game).
Lee
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