Amen; I purposely add "color" to dry writing so it won't be dry, scientific research or not... I think what Ed just relayed would engage more folks to pay attention anyway when reading research... to me THAT would be logical! Michele
> Bob, Dave, ENTS, > > I am all for presenting an unemotional, detached, logical presentation > when publishing a scientific paper. The results need to stand for > themselves without an emotional imperative to accept them. I however fail > to see why in general discussions about matters of policy and matters of > importance to us as individuals, even as we are scientists, that we need > to maintain a dispassionate tone in our posts. Opinions are swayed not > purely by logic, but by emotional elements as well. People playing > emotional cards in a discourse will almost always prevail in a public > discussion of policy issues if the scientific community restricts itself > to just the facts. How many horrible things in the world have happened > because the scientific community stood aloof and dispassionate and was > unable to persuade others of the right course of action because of the > vanity of restricting themselves to dispassionate argument? Lack of > passion in the defense of our ideals is not a virtue. As a scientist, and > that is how I think of myself, my choices in scientific issues are driven > by logic and information. When it comes to matters of less clear cut > boundaries, when it comes to issues driven by public opinion, when it > deals with issues with an emotional impact, when it deals with questions > of aesthetics and ideals, logic can not be my only criteria. As a > complete human being, we need to accept and embrace not only logic, but > the emotional and spiritual sides of our being as well. > > Ed > > > "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. > It is the source of all true art and all science." - Albert Einstein > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
