Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!seismo!brl-adm!brl-smoke!gwyn
From: gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn )
Newsgroups: net.philosophy,net.sci
Subject: Re: More Contempt prior to Investigation
Message-ID: <2027@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 23-Mar-86 19:26:11 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-smok.2027
Posted: Sun Mar 23 19:26:11 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Mar-86 03:34:25 EST
References: <435@ccivax.UUCP> <489@ccivax.UUCP>
Reply-To: gwyn@brl.ARPA
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab (BRL)
Lines: 39
Xref: watmath net.philosophy:4644 net.sci:643

In article <489@ccivax.UUCP> rb@ccivax.UUCP (What's in a name ?) writes:
>I've been reading a book called "Velikovski Reconsidered" which includes
>a great number of examples of how leading scientists have effectively
>shown "contempt" for what could be a very valid theory.  The interesting
>thing is that the facts, as they come in, are in Velikovski's favor.

To the contrary, Velikovsky's theories are in direct contradiction
to many known facts, orbital mechanics prime among them.  Let's not
rehash this tired old debate, please.

>Another interesting example - August Dvorak devloped a keyboard which
>unlike the one you're probably typing on now, was designed to speed up
>rather than slow down typists.  Because of economic considerations,
>scientists have gone to great lengths to prove that Dvorak's claims
>are not valid.  Would you believe there are people who still believe
>that the Sholes (QWERTY) keyboard was designed to help them type FASTER!
>Most studies of ergonomics for keyboards do not even include studies
>using a Dvorak or modified Dvorak keyboards!  Interestingly enough,
>the ergonomics for a Dvorak keyboard (key travel, spacing, tactile
>feedback,...) are dramatically different.

Your description of the Dvorak keyboard is wrong on several counts.
Observe: many (most) speed typing records were attained on a Dvorak
keyboard (or its close relative, ASK); the state of Oregon requires
that its typists be given a choice of keyboards; SCM has made ASK
available as an option for years; the Apple //c has a switch to
change between the two keyboards.  The main reason most keyboards
are still QWERTY is that that is what the vast majority of touch
typists were trained on; retraining appears to be just expensive
enough that it is hard to sell businesses and manufacturers on the
idea.  I have NEVER heard of any scientific study pooh-poohing the
Dvorak keyboard arrangement as an alternative to QWERTY.

>These are two examples where, because of contempt on the part of scientists,
>improvements on flawed but valid theories have been ignored in preference
>to justifying even more flawed theories.

You have not only not proved your point, you have exhibited the
very behavior that you are chastising scientists about.