----- Original Message -----
From: "Adrian Tymes" <wingcat@pacbell.net>
To: <extropians@extropy.org>
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 3:20 AM
Subject: Re: Extro IT Techies list?
> 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?
>
I'm not suggesting taking the science off the list! I'm just suggesting a
bit more of it somewhere else, not necessarily under the Extropian brand
name, where the purpose is to answer questions.
Emlyn
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