tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post6999621514815589245..comments2024-03-27T14:50:47.345-04:00Comments on <center>Sandwalk</center>: Cocktail Parties and the Two CulturesLarry Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05756598746605455848noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-26877729178814954762008-08-06T05:09:00.000-04:002008-08-06T05:09:00.000-04:00"It has become almost a cliche to remark that nobo..."It has become almost a cliche to remark that nobody boasts of ignorance of literature, but it is socially acceptable to boast ignorance of science." -Richard Dawkins<BR/><BR/>This is absolutely correct. Maybe english majors in modern institutions are not allowed to have this sort of attitude, but pretty much anywhere else you go people will be amazed if you express interest in science but are not a TV Genius*.<BR/><BR/>* Defined in tvtropes.org: "The unintelligent person's idea of what a genius is like".Valhar2000https://www.blogger.com/profile/05467019327257867276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-24069033978025485612008-08-06T05:06:00.000-04:002008-08-06T05:06:00.000-04:00Unfortunately, your stupidity is The Real Thing (T...Unfortunately, your stupidity is The Real Thing (TM).Valhar2000https://www.blogger.com/profile/05467019327257867276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-51620264579446408962008-07-29T02:00:00.000-04:002008-07-29T02:00:00.000-04:00you might just censor me, your anti-censorship is ...you might just censor me, your anti-censorship is probably made of cardboard, too.A. Vargashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04876504431768677209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-64761472550535129162008-07-29T01:59:00.000-04:002008-07-29T01:59:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Nucleo Deceniohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01966542558503652729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-26482547247283806452008-07-28T23:54:00.000-04:002008-07-28T23:54:00.000-04:00"It has become almost a cliche to remark that nobo..."It has become almost a cliche to remark that nobody boasts of ignorance of literature, but it is socially acceptable to boast ignorance of science." -Richard Dawkins<BR/><BR/>(I think I got this from PZ's random quotes list)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-58366424332904515062008-07-28T23:06:00.000-04:002008-07-28T23:06:00.000-04:00sanders says,Larry's "Gouldism" is made of carboar...sanders says,<BR/><BR/><I>Larry's "Gouldism" is made of carboard. His epistemology and scientism (the TRUE foundations of his way of thinkins) are pure Dawkins-lover material.</I><BR/><BR/>Hmmm .... I'm beginning to see why you've been banned from some blogs. <BR/><BR/>I hate to censor anything but spam so from now on I'll just ignore you. You don't know what you're talking about.Larry Moranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05756598746605455848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-19986838897399610332008-07-28T19:30:00.000-04:002008-07-28T19:30:00.000-04:00I''l jus say first, I am not a fan of goudl, but I...I''l jus say first, I am not a fan of goudl, but I can tell when I can see a poser.<BR/>Larry's "Gouldism" is made of carboard. His epistemology and scientism (the TRUE foundations of his way of thinkins) are pure Dawkins-lover material.<BR/>Need I even mention Larry's stance of race? If gould were aliv he would push larry away in disgust (as he desperately attempts to show his Gouldism by licking his shoes or something)A. Vargashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04876504431768677209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-60697038330898579932008-07-28T18:59:00.000-04:002008-07-28T18:59:00.000-04:00fred wins. Yes, it depends where they are in their...fred wins. Yes, it depends where they are in their orbits. Right now, Mercury is closest; and they are all further away then the Sun. Sorry to go off topic; back to the bunfight with science and humanities.sylashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10594421176931832170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-27111607469614862682008-07-28T14:34:00.000-04:002008-07-28T14:34:00.000-04:00At the moment, the closest planet to earth is Merc...At the moment, the closest planet to earth is Mercury:<BR/><BR/>http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/wspace?tbody=1000&vbody=1001&month=7&day=28&year=2008&hour=00&minute=00&fovmul=1&rfov=5&bfov=30&porbs=1&showsc=1Fred Bremmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17514779071689467206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-85973440084191395582008-07-28T14:15:00.000-04:002008-07-28T14:15:00.000-04:00On Dumbed Down Courses:Having struggled through as...On Dumbed Down Courses:<BR/>Having struggled through astronomy for english majors, I'm interested in the comments about how there are no equivalent classes for math and science whizzes who struggle in literature and writing courses. What I noticed when applying to grad school is that in regard to the standardized tests still required as part of an application packet by most departments/institutions, sometimes math and science whizzes don't need to worry about their language based score at all. They can get a zero on the language based part of their test and it doesn't make a difference because they're judged (at least at some prestigious places I noticed) only on their math based score. I haven't found that the favor is returned by language or writing based grad school departments nixing the math based scores of their applicants. <BR/><BR/>On Communicating:<BR/>I'll never be a science or math natural, but for me--about as out there as you can get on the not-just-Marquez but Borges, Allende, and Neruda-loving end of the spectrum, the practice and challenge of logical thinking only helps in the expression of language and literature-based thoughts. A healthy dose of humility about one's own abilities (and walking away from badly bloated egos no matter what subject their owner has found to pontificate on) helps to address those intellectual conversations, where the patronization and stigma surely runs both ways.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-63159906632623155762008-07-28T12:52:00.000-04:002008-07-28T12:52:00.000-04:00Whoops. Missed your footnote. Chris: Doesn't it...Whoops. Missed your footnote. <BR/><BR/>Chris: Doesn't it depend on where in their orbits they are?<BR/><BR/>Of course, I would have said the moon (since some designate it a "sister planet" because it doesn't orbit the Earth's center but a common center of gravity (about 1,000 miles deep in the Earth).John Pierethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17336244849636477317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-30687952329841026682008-07-28T12:48:00.000-04:002008-07-28T12:48:00.000-04:00Wilkins has joined in too.Wilkins has <A HREF="http://scienceblogs.com/evolvingthoughts/2008/07/what_philosophy_of_science_and.php" REL="nofollow">joined in too</A>.John Pierethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17336244849636477317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-44234925006474184862008-07-28T12:34:00.000-04:002008-07-28T12:34:00.000-04:00Have you read Edward Wilson's latest book Consilie...Have you read Edward Wilson's latest book Consilience? I think he really gets to the root of the current status of the two cultures problem, and shows the path forward towards unification, if there is one to be found.<BR/><BR/>The argument that the gap is essentially a result of science's limited ability to explain the brain is compelling...Baymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03436172198266062229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-13678511753195879742008-07-28T11:45:00.000-04:002008-07-28T11:45:00.000-04:00I thought about qualifying my question to say "exc...I thought about qualifying my question to say "except Earth itself, of course"; but I though, no, no-one's going to be that.... ah skip it. ;)<BR/><BR/>Which planet, other than Earth itself, is closest to Earth. It's a multiple choice question, and the correct answer is one, and one only, of the following: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.sylashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10594421176931832170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-1828422606414473212008-07-28T11:23:00.000-04:002008-07-28T11:23:00.000-04:00So, Larry. Which planet is closest to the Earth?My...<I>So, Larry. Which planet is closest to the Earth?</I><BR/><BR/>My guess would be: Earth.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-5555016071021303632008-07-28T11:22:00.000-04:002008-07-28T11:22:00.000-04:00Science is in fact inconceivable without the human...<I>Science is in fact inconceivable without the humanities</I><BR/><BR/>Why is it that the terms "in fact" and "the truth of the matter is" are more frequently followed by opinions than facts or truth?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37148773.post-22737917129987440602008-07-28T10:46:00.000-04:002008-07-28T10:46:00.000-04:00So, Larry. Which planet is closest to the Earth? T...So, Larry. Which planet <I>is</I> closest to the Earth? The answer might not be what you first think...sylashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10594421176931832170noreply@blogger.com