Teckies and the Pols!
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Discussions anent science, engineering and WMD are always interesting. There are a lotta folks educated at two great schools of Technology (one in CA, one in MA, as I was) who would not bother too much about the distinctions, which, I think, are made by non-professionals in the business. I do think it's worth noting that, for better or worse, decisions on using WMD in 1915 (gas), 1945 and today were made by politicians, most of whom, I assume, were were neither scientists, engineers , technologists or soldiers.
Peter Lissaman, Da Vinci Ventures
Expertise is not knowing everything, but knowing what to look for.
1454 Miracerros Loop South, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
TEL: (505) 983-7728 FAX: (505) 983-1694
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I suppose Russ would say that when Einstein wrote to Roosevelt
(1939) about the possible bomb he was a scientist working as a politician. The letter was apparently composed by Szilard but Einstein
signed it and took full responsibility for it. He later called it the
“greatest mistake” of his life. Frank From:
[hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Peter
Lissaman Discussions
anent science, engineering and WMD are always interesting. There are a
lotta folks educated at two great schools of Technology (one in
CA, one in MA, as I was) who would not bother too much about the distinctions,
which, I think, are made by non-professionals in the business. I do
think it's worth noting that, for better or worse, decisions on using
WMD in 1915 (gas), 1945 and today were made by politicians, most of
whom, I assume, were were neither scientists, engineers , technologists
or soldiers. Peter
Lissaman, Da Vinci Ventures Expertise
is not knowing everything, but knowing what to look for. 1454
Miracerros Loop South, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 TEL:
(505) 983-7728 FAX: (505) 983-1694 ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org |
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I thought it was the "Cosmological Constant" which Einstein considered his biggest mistake. Not so?
--Doug On Fri, Jan 2, 2009 at 8:28 AM, Frank Wimberly <[hidden email]> wrote:
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org |
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In reply to this post by Peter Lissaman
Peter,
You are right about the waste of time distinguishing between disciplinary differences. In fact, I note with others that 2009 is the 50th anniversary of C.P. Snow's seminal essay on the "Two Cultures", the unfortunate separation between science and the humanities. You are shockingly wrong, however, in absolving scientists and engineers from the evil attendant to the use of WMD. Scientists back then, as well as those working today in our national laboratories, (as well as our so-called "great schools of Technology"), know exactly how their research might be used. Their failure, along with yours, is the absence of a moral imagination. Merle "Our world has sprouted a weird concept of security and a warped sense of morality. Weapons are sheltered like treasures and children are exposed to incineration." Bertrand Russell Peter Lissaman wrote: > > Discussions anent science, engineering and WMD are always > interesting. There are a lotta folks educated at two great schools of > Technology (one in CA, one in MA, as I was) who would not bother too > much about the distinctions, which, I think, are made by > non-professionals in the business. I do think it's worth noting > that, for better or worse, decisions on using WMD in 1915 (gas), 1945 > and today were made by politicians , most of whom, I assume, were > were neither scientists, engineers , technologists or soldiers. > > > Peter Lissaman, Da Vinci Ventures > > Expertise is not knowing everything, but knowing what to look for. > > 1454 Miracerros Loop South, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 > TEL: (505) 983-7728 FAX: (505) 983-1694 > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org |
Re: Teckies and the Pols!
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In reply to this post by Peter Lissaman
A PBS series "How Art Made the World" is being rebroadcast in Houston
and reminds us in a recent episode of "the persuasive power of art".
(http://www.pbs.org/howartmadetheworld/episodes/persuasion/)
So politicians don't just exploit Science and Engineering to gather and wield power they also exploit Art. In fact Art may be the more powerful and dangerous tool (see the rise of the Third Reich and its role in building antisemitism in pre-war Germany) because it molds the public mind and the political will. "Art is a tool of mass deception" first used by the Romans in 44 BC. When first broadcast in 2006, "host Dr. Spivey teaches classical art and archaeology at the University of Cambridge, where he is a Fellow of Emmanuel College." Robert C Peter Lissaman wrote:
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