Some More Inanities
An article on Science Writing ?
Here's an article purportedly about the recent glut of "popular science" books most of which have turned out to be (deservedly) unpopular. It is interesting how the author abandons his original subject and suddenly launches into a diatribe against science itself.
Of course anyone can give tons of examples of scientific research that is basically garbage - but that is true of any field and has been true for the last 50 years at least. This phenomenon has nothing to do with the success or lack thereof of "popular science" books. In any case many of these books, particularly those on 20th century physics, do a pathetic job of presenting "real science" (blind accumulation of facts ???) and are therefore excellent dustbin material. Ergo 20th cent. physics is dustbin material too ?
Logical thinking doesn't seem to be the author's strong suit despite his scientific credentials which I strongly suspect were acquired through the correspondence courses offered by the University of Yoobudoobu.
posted by Crp @ 5:26 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
As Sir Humphrey Appleby and some others might say: "He went to the LSE."
A quote from Feynman that is always good to reflect upon: "I have a friend who's an artist and he's sometimes taken a view that I don't agree with... He says, "You see, I as an artist can see how beautiful this [flower] is, but you as a scientist, oh, take this all apart and it becomes a dull thing." And I think he's kind of nutty... I might not be quite as refined aesthetically as he is; but I can appreciate the beauty of a flower. At the same time I can see much more about the flower than he sees. ...it's not just about beauty at this dimension of one centimeter, there is also beauty at a smaller dimension, the inner structure. Also the processes, the fact that the colors in the flower evolved to attract insects to pollinate it is quite interestng -- it means that insects can see color. ...A science knowledge only adds to the excitement and mystery and awe of a flower. It only adds; I don't understand how it subtracts." (The Pleasure of Finding Things)
He also articulates on the value of science. I doubt I could say it better.
At least I've heard of the LSE. But University to the West of England ? Frankly it sounds made up.
I think the Feynman example is great - in my opinion the Feynman lectures are the gold standard in popular science writing.
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