🚀 go-pugleaf

I was moved by John Chambers posting:

Subject: Re: James Burke
Summary: ...losses have occurred...

>Well, the historic record has shown a few losses.  It was just recently
>that someone finally figured out how to make Damascus steel.  We no longer
>know how to make concrete that is as stable as some of the stuff used to
>build the Roman roads, and is still good after a couple millenia.  There
>are probably some historians around who will add to the list (hint).
>
>It has been observed that a culture is only as old as its oldest member.
>Technology only exists, in any usable sense, if we have people who can
>understand it.  It would be very easy to lose a lot of things.
>
>Consider, for example, the growing disaster in math and science education
>in the American public school system.  We are in serious danger of having
>a population that is mostly ignorant couch potatoes,. . .
>
>There was a curious example of technology loss back during the Vietnam
>years.  One of the Viet Cong's effective techniques was to make crossbows
>out of non-metallic materials. . . .
>Modern military people tend to sneer, of course, which only added to the 
>vulnerability of a lot of soldiers.  [This is really an example of arrogance
>rather than technological loss.]
>
>Oh, yes, another loss:  Back in the 40's and early 50's, we had high-school
>biology texts that did a reasonably good job of introducing t
he concept of
>evolution.....
>
>As for technology working forever, well, antibiotics and pesticides don't.
>
>-- 
>	John M Chambers			Phone: 617/364-2000x7304

I've not seen a follow-up, since I sent mail to the person who started
this.  I would like to add a personal note.  I liked the Connections
program (since when I was in the public schools, I did not like
the study of history).  The show had an interesting slant and I think
James Burke would like everyone to understand that.  I know this because
I fight new technology battles all the time (If it works, don't fix
it..... build a better mouse trap; reinventing the wheel...your have to
to get Michelins...).  So after the series, I called up Lynn White at
UCLA (I first heard of White in a UC history class).  We had a short
discussion where he gave me Burke's address and work phone.

I think the one thing Burke wants to get across and not mentioned is
that history does not progress in a nice linear fashion as history books
tend to portrary it.  I agree that the American education establishment
is in a shambles.  I'm glad I made it thru college before the crunch
(only $600 in loans, the rest grants and scholarships).  I find it
ironic that (using the military example above) that we are placing
illiterate high-school grads into complex weapons systems like an M-1
tank, and the military has to train their soldiers to read.

Perhaps, what we need in this country is to designate and preserve some
of it's people like living historic monuments as they do in Japan.  I
don't know, that's only a drop.  We have to lose that arrogance that
John talks about.  I've also seen many other fine postings on this
subject.  Technology exists as a fragile thread.  It distresses me that
we are discussing the merits of astrology in sci.astro.  But it is not
worth my time to argue against it in that group.  As Feynman said, "We
do not live in a scientific society." [Cargo-cult science lecture.]
Other proposals to "save society?"

From the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers:

--eugene miya
  NASA Ames Research Center
  eugene@ames-aurora.ARPA
  "You trust the `reply' command with all those different mailers out there?"
  "Send mail, avoid follow-ups.  If enough, I'll summarize."
  {hplabs,hao,nike,ihnp4,decwrl,allegra,tektronix,menlo70}!ames!aurora!eugene

P.S. Please don't be a network couch potatoe.