Comments on: On Being Bitten to Death by Ducks http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196 New Words, New Worlds Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:49:17 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Athena http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-55332 Athena Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:31:05 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196#comment-55332 These cultural and linguistic overlays/palimpsests are endlessly fascinating and resonant! These cultural and linguistic overlays/palimpsests are endlessly fascinating and resonant!

]]> By: Ric http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-55331 Ric Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:28:59 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196#comment-55331 Eloise, you are both right and wrong. Helen is the name of a sun goddess right across Europe extending into Russia. The sun word is not 'hel' but 'swel' and the 's' gets lost and replaced by 'h' after 1000's of years, hence Latin 'sol' but Welsh 'haul'. You may be very correct in the identity-switch from the larger to the smaller island however. There was also a cult shrine to the Virgin Mary on Tomberlaine. An important (Breton-Brythonic) pun here may be 'tomb'+'elaine', Elen being a Welsh form of Helen. Eloise, you are both right and wrong. Helen is the name of a sun goddess right across Europe extending into Russia. The sun word is not ‘hel’ but ‘swel’ and the ‘s’ gets lost and replaced by ‘h’ after 1000′s of years, hence Latin ‘sol’ but Welsh ‘haul’. You may be very correct in the identity-switch from the larger to the smaller island however. There was also a cult shrine to the Virgin Mary on Tomberlaine. An important (Breton-Brythonic) pun here may be ‘tomb’+'elaine’, Elen being a Welsh form of Helen.

]]> By: Athena http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-42519 Athena Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:19:43 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196#comment-42519 Well, let's put it this way: the persistent cooing of people with the brainpower of pigeons can also drive you into a frenzy (or, more likely, a coma). Well, let’s put it this way: the persistent cooing of people with the brainpower of pigeons can also drive you into a frenzy (or, more likely, a coma).

]]> By: Heraclides http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-42473 Heraclides Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:49:38 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196#comment-42473 Isn't that a pigeon? :-) (Someone has to be a "lightweight" and poke a little fun... the world can't be all serious...) Isn’t that a pigeon? :-)

(Someone has to be a “lightweight” and poke a little fun… the world can’t be all serious…)

]]> By: Athena http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-40623 Athena Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:33:17 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196#comment-40623 Intelligent, learned people who have a measure of fame sometimes end up causing disproportionate harm. In Gould's case, he was trying to reach a working compromise. So his motives were benign and he was also aware of the likely outcomes. In other cases (Crick, Pauling, Hoyle, Kurzweil, to name just a few), famous people adopt bizarre theories or causes way outside their domain of expertise -- usually late in life when they're looking around for something to amuse themselves with. Dandy for them, but their name lends cachet to ideas or movements that would otherwise have been laughed at outright. Intelligent, learned people who have a measure of fame sometimes end up causing disproportionate harm. In Gould’s case, he was trying to reach a working compromise. So his motives were benign and he was also aware of the likely outcomes. In other cases (Crick, Pauling, Hoyle, Kurzweil, to name just a few), famous people adopt bizarre theories or causes way outside their domain of expertise — usually late in life when they’re looking around for something to amuse themselves with. Dandy for them, but their name lends cachet to ideas or movements that would otherwise have been laughed at outright.

]]> By: Ophelia Benson http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-40622 Ophelia Benson Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:18:03 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196#comment-40622 "Gould, despite his erudition and eloquence, did a huge amount of damage when he proposed his non-overlapping magisteria." Didn't he just. My opinion of him took such a dive when that book came out - and I got into such arguments about the book. His erudition and eloquence (and reputation) just made the damage that much worse, because more powerful. “Gould, despite his erudition and eloquence, did a huge amount of damage when he proposed his non-overlapping magisteria.”

Didn’t he just. My opinion of him took such a dive when that book came out – and I got into such arguments about the book. His erudition and eloquence (and reputation) just made the damage that much worse, because more powerful.

]]> By: Athena http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-39127 Athena Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:01:28 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196#comment-39127 NSF, NIH, DoE, NASA -- they all bend to this kind of pressure, to the detriment not only of science, but also of their image as free-standing bastions of knowledge. If there is no separation of "church" and "state" in these institutions, where else can it be expected to exist and function? NSF, NIH, DoE, NASA — they all bend to this kind of pressure, to the detriment not only of science, but also of their image as free-standing bastions of knowledge. If there is no separation of “church” and “state” in these institutions, where else can it be expected to exist and function?

]]> By: Mike Treder http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-39125 Mike Treder Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:47:05 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196#comment-39125 "I staunchly believe that accommodationism and silence on the part of scientists is little short of immoral." From your pen to the NSF's ears! “I staunchly believe that accommodationism and silence on the part of scientists is little short of immoral.”

From your pen to the NSF’s ears!

]]> By: Athena http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-35790 Athena Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:45:55 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196#comment-35790 I couldn't agree more with you, Eloise. Your example is very characteristic of the "don't confuse me with facts" attitude. If you read my essay "The Double Helix" (in the stories section) you'll find me expressing views identical to yours in terms of the intrinsic conservatism of the academic community. Of course, some of it comes from the legitimate wish to guard against charismatic charlatans. But some springs from less noble motives. I couldn’t agree more with you, Eloise. Your example is very characteristic of the “don’t confuse me with facts” attitude. If you read my essay “The Double Helix” (in the stories section) you’ll find me expressing views identical to yours in terms of the intrinsic conservatism of the academic community. Of course, some of it comes from the legitimate wish to guard against charismatic charlatans. But some springs from less noble motives.

]]> By: Eloise http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-35787 Eloise Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:11:36 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=196#comment-35787 I do not claim to be qualified in hard science domains, but I do think that you'e touched on a common thread in all scientific communities, and to an extent, in the humanities as well. In History and Literature, for example, it is also very hard to make a point and communicate new ideas. The moment you propose something a bit outlandish or risqué, the community becomes tongue-tied because it doesn't want to be seen either as non-scientific (the key word being: demonstrate!) or as condoning any subversive notion, for both fields pertain to the diffusion of ideas and can therefore be used for political purposes. Just how long did the Arthurian Cycle prosper under its Christian incarnation? It is only recently that the world at large (and not only some loony scholar in the recesses of his study) got wind that it was indeed a re-interpreted Celtic myth. The same holds true of historical sites. In France, they keep saying that the Mont Saint Michel was built after a revelation of the Archangel, when in truth they transferred the name of Tombelaine (or Tum-Belen, from "dunum", or "hill", and Belenos, the Celtic Sun God) to a lesser, insignificant rock in the bay. Yet who will own up to the truth? No one, for the Archangel's name means business. The funny thing being that popular etymology says that Tombelaine means "the tumb of Helaine, daughter of Hoel" (a real-life king). Unwittingly, we get back on our feet, for Helaine cannot be anything else than Little Hoel, names where we can find the lexical root "hel-", which, or course, means "sun". They try to explain it away, but the truth comes back to haunt them... When free speech meets power and the communication corporations, it is inevitable that there will be a clash. Unfortunately, too often do the factoids and sound bites win. Because if they admit that the Mont Saint Michel legend is a construction of dogma, then they are exposed and their foundations toppled. Which is something they most certainly cannot condone. Eloise :) I do not claim to be qualified in hard science domains, but I do think that you’e touched on a common thread in all scientific communities, and to an extent, in the humanities as well.

In History and Literature, for example, it is also very hard to make a point and communicate new ideas. The moment you propose something a bit outlandish or risqué, the community becomes tongue-tied because it doesn’t want to be seen either as non-scientific (the key word being: demonstrate!) or as condoning any subversive notion, for both fields pertain to the diffusion of ideas and can therefore be used for political purposes.

Just how long did the Arthurian Cycle prosper under its Christian incarnation? It is only recently that the world at large (and not only some loony scholar in the recesses of his study) got wind that it was indeed a re-interpreted Celtic myth. The same holds true of historical sites. In France, they keep saying that the Mont Saint Michel was built after a revelation of the Archangel, when in truth they transferred the name of Tombelaine (or Tum-Belen, from “dunum”, or “hill”, and Belenos, the Celtic Sun God) to a lesser, insignificant rock in the bay. Yet who will own up to the truth? No one, for the Archangel’s name means business. The funny thing being that popular etymology says that Tombelaine means “the tumb of Helaine, daughter of Hoel” (a real-life king). Unwittingly, we get back on our feet, for Helaine cannot be anything else than Little Hoel, names where we can find the lexical root “hel-”, which, or course, means “sun”. They try to explain it away, but the truth comes back to haunt them…

When free speech meets power and the communication corporations, it is inevitable that there will be a clash. Unfortunately, too often do the factoids and sound bites win. Because if they admit that the Mont Saint Michel legend is a construction of dogma, then they are exposed and their foundations toppled. Which is something they most certainly cannot condone.

Eloise :)

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