Re: Breast Cancer, radon, junk science. [and Edges]

[Maury Siskel <maury@webtexas.com>]

Dear Ted,
Your idealism is admirable if you can take one more step and realize that they are ideals to genuinely
work hard for, but which will seldom be realized in their more pure form. The world remains flat and
will continue so until and unless proven decisively otherwise as every superstition is encountered
along the way. And in the meantime, many good, hard-working, honest, capable souls will have been
thrown over the Edge. Many good scientists have to be dragged through infinite papers, panels, and
letters to the editors  to the Edge before they will agree that it isn't there. And some of those
become such passionate believers that they simply are not able to make the transition - they throw
themselves off of the Edge ...  and miss.

Please try not to misunderstand me. The processes of scientific methods are beautiful to watch and in
which to participate as they inexorably unfold. I suggest, however, that unqualified belief in the
ideals you describe is tantamount to an unfortunate cynicism and unnecessary disappointment in later
years when you discover that you can still see some Edges of that interminable flat earth. The process
is hard work, but it is a lot of fun and is very rewarding as you stumble on with your friends and
colleagues toward the next Edge. As someone once said, ' I love it when a plan comes together'.

Cheers (and, Ted, don't ever let the fun fall out it)
maury@webtexas.com

PS Tom, you better watch that Dolly - she may come to haunt you yet ....   :-)
============================================================
Thomas J Savin wrote:

> Hello Dolly! the cloned sheep!
> ---
> Tom Savin
>
> On Sun, 25 Feb 2001 12:49:33
>  Ted de Castro wrote:
> >This continual pointing to "the world is flat" notions of the past that
> >were later proven wrong as the template still followed by modern science
> >just because they are not embracing a particular pet notion is an insult
> >to all modern scientists.
> >
> >We have learned from those days - indeed we have progressed from those
> >days because we have learned.
> >
> >Scientists are some of the most self questioning and open minded people
> >around.
> >
> >Just because they don't suddenly embrace a declarative position or
> >instantly turn all attention to a mind wandering "what if", does NOT
> >indicate closed mindedness.

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