From: alexboko@umich.edu
Date: Tue May 20 2003 - 18:50:54 MDT
From: "Alex Future Bokov" <alexboko@umich.edu>
X-Mailer: YaBB
[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.
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.
---- This message was posted by Alex Future Bokov to the Extropians 2003 board on ExI BBS. <http://www.extropy.org/bbs/index.php?board=67;action=display;threadid=55909>
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