X-Message-Number: 19171
Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 20:58:13 +0000
From: Philip Rhoades <>
Subject: Re: Why no fundamental advances in physics?
References: <>

David,

>     #19168: Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 12:41:46 +0200
> From: David Stodolsky <>


> Social constructionism at its foundation is extremely conservative,
> fascist
> according to some published work. Given that it is a methodologically
> flawed, its easy for its proponents to come to any conclusion
> whatsoever.
> These conclusions tend to support the current power holders and
> dominant
> social views.
> 
> How could such nonsense become important within science? My theory is
> that
> science has undermined the traditional shields against death anxiety,
> the
> dominant religious views, to such an extent that they don't do the job
> for
> most people. Therefore, an attack on science is a welcome relief to
> traditionalists. Now they can go back to believing in the judgement
> day,
> reincarnation, etc., since science is "just another story."


Sounds very plausible.


> >Though you have to wonder why the intellectuals who promote such a
> view of
> >science tend to oppose nuclear technology.  After all, it's just a
> matter of
> 
> They don't, opposition to nuclear technology tends to come from
> traditionalists.


This is a bit of a generalisation - opposition to nuclear _power_ and 
_weapons_ comes also from people with uncommon sense.  After all, 
nuclear power was sold on the basis of being "too cheap to meter" when 
it was plainly obvious that it was really just the acceptable face of 
nuclear weapons.  The utilities and the military needed a front.

Strange bedfellows - I see it happening quite frequently on this list - 
perhaps it is the nature of something so conventionally outrageous as 
Cryonics.  eg I am an atheist materialist but I am not with the 
humanists in terms of dying;  I am a self-employed capitalist who 
supports the trade unions and I am quite sympathetic to techno methods 
of human physical and mental improvement but I think we should destroy 
nuclear weapons and power stations and maybe only do a little research 
on nuclear fusion.

Anyway, back to the point, I would be surprised if the majority of 
people opposing nuclear technology are traditionalists.

R&LL,

Phil.
-- 
Philip Rhoades

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