🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <9382@vice.ICO.TEK.COM>, hall@vice.ICO.TEK.COM (Hal Lillywh writes...
>In article <8APR199214001279@sscvx1.ssc.gov> sawyer@sscvx1.ssc.gov (Lee Sawyer) writes:
> 
>>                                 However can you imagine the response
>> if Leon Lederman or Phillip Anderson spoke on the presidential race ?
>> He would be crucified by the media, if they paid any attention at all.
> 
>Well, pretty much anybody of any stature who speaks out on politics
>will get crucified by the media.  Sometimes you just have to pay the
>price if you are going to make a contribution.  I'm more concerned
>about your last phrase, "If [the media] paid any attention at all."
>Unfortunately movie stars can support political candidates or causes
>and people (including the media) give them coverage as though they
>knew something special.  Scientists usually don't get as much
>attention (unless they speak out in support of some popular or
>politically correct idea).  Jane Fonda has a lot more influence on
>the nuclear power plant issue than do the people who really know
>something about the issue.

  What I imagined by "crucifixion" was MacLaughlin, Barnes, Novack, et al,
 debating whether a scientist has any right to inject their personal
 beliefs into the political dialogue.

  But I agree 100 % that "celebraties" are given widely inflated credence
 on issues that cannot possibly be in their area of expertise. So what do we
 do ? I am all in favor of forming an ACTIVE information service (say,
 within APS) that would force the issue. Have a group of scientists hold
 press conferences, do the things that media seem to feel are important,
 and try to better inform the public. There could be handful of full-time
 folks, who pick particular experts to speak on particular subjects.
 How does this sit with the Net ?

  You know, we really need someone to introduce Robert Parks to the concept
 of vnews, or the new reader of your choice...

 ==============================================================================
         Lee Sawyer     | Dept of Physics          
       (SSCVX1::SAWYER) | Univ of Texas - Arlington    
                        | Arlington, TX            
 ==============================================================================