Dave Kruger wrote: "I think the thrust of Craig's elocutions is perhaps this: place your trust in folks with solid training in an area if you have none in that area; look askance at all others who are not credentialed or willing to submit their data and analysis to scientific scrutiny. Here is a comparison: Few of us would attempt brain surgery on someone else without training; none of us would dial up "brain surgery" on the internet and use the information in the first 10 sites Google brings up to pop a skull and dig right in. Yet, many of us are content to cherry pick facts and analyses off a Google search to fit a point of view we like or embrace in a huge, difficult arena such as climate change. That is seriously wrong. In fact, it is probably a form of neurotic behavior. We do not need that kind of "debate" on a serious issue like global warming." Our brains are very selective, and we often get out of a text what we want, not what it really says. Many years ago Gislaved, a tiny town in southern Sweden, needed a lot of labor for its big and successful tire plant (later bought, and closed down, by Continental). As there were no Swedes available, people from Yugoslavia got imported, so pretty soon they consisted of a huge slice of the working part of the population. Pretty soon tensions developed, not least by the fact that there were now a lot of young men without girl friends, so there was competition, and friction. And soon word by mouth told the original inhabitants that not only took these fiends their girls, they lived on welfare, were in short scum of the earth. In reality, things were the other way round, the Yugoslavs were very diligent, saved and took better care of themselves than the Gislavedians (if there is such a word). So the authorities put in adverts in the local paper telling the population the truth, thinking it would defuse the tension. Unusually, they did follow it up by interviewing a number of people, about what they thought about the information campaign, and if their views had been changed. None had, as both sides view had been reinforced: Those who hated Yugoslavs said that they had seen the adverts about the Yugoslavs and welfare, thus they hadn't really read what the adverts were about, or skipped the parts that didn't fit their views. Those who were liked the new style in town, with its slightly changed social life, with new restaurants, et cetera. Those that had been influenced a little were those without any view on the matter. So while information, which a teacher can supply in loads, it isn't at all sure that it is worth the effort, as a child is already selective in what he/she takes in. A really clever demagogue can succeed in turning almost anyones head, and all teachers we remember were real characters, often a bit odd, in one way or other, but natural demagogues. My dad was one of those popular teachers that inspired lots, so when he died, the big church, was crammed by hundreds of ex-students (and their spouses), some of them having become world authorities in subjects close to my dad's, which was mycology. How he managed to I will never know, but he did. They flew in from all over the world, cried and were very sad. We, his wife, and us children, were not, as we at last had been rid of the demented bastard, but that's another story! Tord PS Back to paddling ... -- Be Yourself _at_ mail.com! Choose From 200+ Email Addresses Get a Free Account at www.mail.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Jan 01 2009 - 04:45:55 PST
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