Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2(pesnta.1.3) 9/5/84; site epimass.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!pyramid!nsc!csi!epimass!jbuck From: jbuck@epimass.UUCP (Joe Buck) Newsgroups: net.sci,net.philosophy Subject: Re: Contempt prior to investigation Message-ID: <166@epimass.UUCP> Date: Mon, 3-Mar-86 16:41:14 EST Article-I.D.: epimass.166 Posted: Mon Mar 3 16:41:14 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 7-Mar-86 07:40:48 EST References: <899@decwrl.DEC.COM> <402@aoa.UUCP> <192@ulowell.UUCP> <954@lanl.ARPA> <208@ulowell.UUCP> <435@ccivax.UUCP> Reply-To: jbuck@epimass.UUCP (Joe Buck) Organization: Entropic Processing, Inc., Cupertino, CA Lines: 146 Xref: watmath net.sci:561 net.philosophy:4360 Summary: No to net.drivel In article <435@ccivax.UUCP> rb@ccivax.UUCP (What's in a name ?) writes: >Has science become a bastion of ignorance? >Ignorance is best defined as "contempt prior to investigation". I've never seen such a definition of "ignorance" before. It seems backwards to me. It seems to me that your posting is much closer to a demonstration of ignorance, since you claim that several areas of active scientific investigation are "taboos", and seem to believe several common myths without any evidence at all. >Some of sciences "taboos": >UFO's and Alien life. - Blue Book didn't even say they didn't exist! You mean you aren't aware of the well-funded programs to search for extraterrestrial intelligence? What is "Blue Book"? >Parapsychology. The AAAS recognizes parapsychology as a science (some want to reverse this). >Metaphysics. What aspect of metaphysics would you like to have investigated? Aristotle called it "metaphysics" because his previous book was called "physics"; there's little other connection. >Anthropological Anachronisms(Egyptian Science, 2.8 million year old Modern Man) Evidence? >Bermuda Triangle and similar dissappearances. This is no mystery. This area has been one of the most heavily used shipping areas since the 1500's, and has always had lots of pirates. In the old days, they stole gold; now they steal ships for use in the drug trade. It also has some of the worst weather in the world. There was a book that successfully debunked most of the Bermuda Triangle stuff; I forget the title. Naturally it didn't sell well. >A possible "sunken city" in the Triangle. Flat out impossible. Because of the heavy use for shipping the area gets, the undersea terrain has been thoroughly mapped. No city. You've been reading too many "Sub-Mariner" comic books. >The Egyptian "merchants code". You'll have to explain this. >Creationism (any theory that "Higher Intellegence" may have interfered with > the evolutionary process at any time). Now hang on. You can't have 2.8 million year old modern man and creationism too. No one has shown any necessity for such interference at this point; any "higher intelligence" hid his/her/its tracks very well. >But then look at some of the old "taboos": >Natural Child-Birth. This was never a "taboo". It was standard practice before hospitals were available, and at least in the past, one of the leading causes of death in women was childbirth. It was safer for the woman to be in the hospital with extensive medical care available. Now that medicine has advanced, more options are open. >Clinical and Applied Psychology. I wish this were more of a "taboo" than it is. Studies show that as many people are hurt as are helped by therapy. >Manned flight. You have a bit of a point here. But even though some people said it couldn't be done, others kept trying. >Acupuncture. This was unknown in the West, but when it became known, scientists attempted to learn how it worked, not to suppress it as you suggest. The result taught Eastern doctors a few things. >Shaman medicine or Witch Doctors. There has been lots of work on the "placebo effect" as well as serious studies of the medicinal uses of herbs. A lot of the problems are with American patent law, not with "science": you can't patent a natural substance that fights disease, only a synthetic one. So the main problem here is capitalism. >"Anti-matter" (Quantum Physics). This is stupid. No one thought of antimatter until it fell out of a scientist's equation. Scientists proposed quantum theory; other scientists PROPERLY demanded proof that the theory is correct. >4th and 5th Dimension. (The count is 12, last I read) Yes, but these dimensions have nothing at all to do with the dimensions of the pseudo-scientists. They aren't different places where you can go, as in the comic books. >The Earths Solar Orbit. >A round world. Religion, not science, suppressed these advances. The truth on these questions was rediscovered many times, and the equivalent, at the time, of creationists burned the scientists at the stake. > >I suppose the names will change when science "adopts" these orphans, and >then it will be an "acceptable" science. Exactly. Science is self-correcting. Creationists and cranks claim to have all the answers at the start. Some other points: >Bio-feedback is a form of "mind over matter" parapsychology ... Bio-feedback has nothing to do with parapsychology. The brain obviously controls the body, the new discovery is that functions formerly believed to be completely unconscious turn out not to be. >Acupunture led to the discovery of endorphamines. That's endorphins, and this statement is false. >Even creationism has taken the form of genetic engineering and >bio-engineering technology. This is the biggest absurdity in your message. People ignorant of evolution cannot do genetic engineering. Creationists say that each species was created independently. How could someone who believes this try to change one species into another? >Maybe if we called it "plasma field" research instead of "metaphysics", >some serious research would be acceptable. Sorry, there already is such a field and it has nothing to do with what you're talking about. Or do you believe in "auras" too? >Any theory can be proven false by ignoring the supporting evidence. Yes, I see you do a lot of that. -- - Joe Buck This sentence is false.