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From: rb@ccivax.UUCP (rex ballard)
Newsgroups: net.sci,net.philosophy
Subject: Contempt prior to Investication (was Parapsychology and sloppiness)
Message-ID: <435@ccivax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25-Feb-86 23:08:24 EST
Article-I.D.: ccivax.435
Posted: Tue Feb 25 23:08:24 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Mar-86 04:41:10 EST
References: <899@decwrl.DEC.COM> <402@aoa.UUCP> <192@ulowell.UUCP> <954@lanl.ARPA> <208@ulowell.UUCP>
Reply-To: rb@ccivax.UUCP (What's in a name ?)
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Xref: watmath net.sci:548 net.philosophy:4305

In article <208@ulowell.UUCP> dobro@ulowell.UUCP (Chet Dobro) writes:
>In article <954@lanl.ARPA> jlg@a.UUCP (Jim Giles) writes:
>>In article <192@ulowell.UUCP> dobro@ulowell.UUCP (Chet Dobro) writes:
>>> Parapsychology is getting around to being
>>>classified as an 'official' science (I think it should have been long ago)
>>>and thus should be allowed here (net.sci).
>>I think this stuff should stay out of net.sci mainly because the only
>>responsible researchers in the field are not on the net (or don't
>>contribute anyway).
>Agreed.
>I agree completly. That solves most flame problems.
>But, how do you go about getting an new net started...?
>Please, if it can be done, get one started. This makes many people happy.
>Thanx.

Has science become a bastion of ignorance?
Ignorance is best defined as "contempt prior to investigation".
For some reason, it seems that there is a whole realm of "phenomena" which
merits scientific investigation, and is being ignored as "crackpot science".

There are a whole arenas where "we can't explain it" so "it isn't an
'official' science".  Once somebody has done a study, the book is closed,
even though there are no answers.

Some of sciences "taboos":
UFO's and Alien life.  - Blue Book didn't even say they didn't exist!
Parapsychology.
Metaphysics.
Anthropological Anachronisms(Egyptian Science, 2.8 million year old Modern Man)
Bermuda Triangle and similar dissappearances.
A possible "sunken city" in the Triangle.
The Egyptian "merchants code".
Creationism (any theory that "Higher Intellegence" may have interfered with
	the evolutionary process at any time).

But then look at some of the old "taboos":
Natural Child-Birth.
Clinical and Applied Psychology.
Manned flight.
Acupuncture.
Shaman medicine or Witch Doctors.
"Anti-matter" (Quantum Physics).
4th and 5th Dimension. (The count is 12, last I read)
The Earths Solar Orbit.
A round world.

I suppose the names will change when science "adopts" these orphans, and
then it will be an "acceptable" science.

Bio-feedback is a form of "mind over matter" parapsychology, now used
for "stress management".  Even polygraphs fit into this catagory.
A paralytic at University of Colorado Medical Center is heading a research
team which is developing an "Alpha Wave Computer Interface", the only thing
he can move is his eyes.  Anyone know how he's doing recently?

Witch-Doctoring has become holistic medicine.  Several new drugs, and
approaches to treatment have also resulted.

Acupunture led to the discovery of endorphamines.  The most powerful pain-killer
	you can take is manufactured in your own body.

Even creationism has taken the form of genetic engineering and bio-engineering
technology.

Maybe if we called it "plasma field" research instead of "metaphysics",
some serious research would be acceptable.

Yes, there is a lot of $%@# surrounding these areas.
Yes, the information has to be sifted and sorted.
Yes, there is superstition and dogma covering any scientific information.
Yes, there are areas which are grey, where the facts may never be conclusive.
No, you can't guarentee an immediate "payoff".
BUT
There may be hidden laws of science buried beneath the pile of !@#$.
There may be new applications of traditional sciences that can be
commercially or acedemically useful.

We already know that the human nervous system is one of the most sensitive
measuring instruments in existance today.  We know that it is also very
inaccurate.  Just because our technology hasn't reached the same level
of sensitivity in all areas that the nerves can sense, don't rule out
what it senses.

Any theory can be proven false by ignoring the supporting evidence.

Someone has to search before you can research.