Good work SFI, Arlo and your peers:
In the spirit of Silly Talk:
1) I feel a little sad every time the gulf between math/stats/science
and popular understanding is shown to be so stark:
When the four began talking about their creation of a P value and R code and
correlating
data to a Z score to show how it all worked together to come up with
their thesis, one audience member asked, "Can you tell us what that
means?"
"Basically, it means more interlocks, less crashes," Singh said, drawing a
laugh.
It seems like these types of incidents reinforce a kind of
techno-elitism that can be smugly satisfying, but seems like a sad
condition which is probably correlated with all kinds of social
dysfunction. It could be yet another example of the "two cultures"
problem or it seems like it could be deeper and more insidious.
Two factions: One who wants the other to figure things out for them and
give them answers/solutions/tools/products with an air of authority; The
other who are eager to do that work produce those solutions, etc. but
then take on a posture of smug superiority and/or sense of entitlement
(technocracy). Then the former often responds by taking on a sort of
untrusting but dependent resentfulness.
I believe that many of the discussions we have here on this list
reflect *both* of these points of view, often simultaneously. We
*want* someone to have all the answers, figure things out for us,
provide us with silver bullets (e.g. perfect cell phones and perfect
cell phone service), but are (naturally?) resentful when there are flaws
in the result, often *systemic* flaws where the problem is more with the
question than with the answer... "be careful what you ask for".
When we are on the side of the equation providing the answers, seeking
the solutions, creating the tools or products in response, we can be
arrogant and then resent our users/customers for misusing them or not
being astute enough to use them well, to appreciate them, to avoid the
pitfalls they create by their very existence (e.g. nuclear weapons, GMO
foods, fossil fuels, alcohol and other mood (and reflex and judgement)
altering substances, cell phones).
Perhaps along with being "Silly Talk" this point also qualifies as "Rain
makes Applesauce" too? It seems like such an obvious truism with the
result being messy but easy enough to tolerate.
2) While I agree that we don't want unnecessarily dangerous drivers on
the highway, it does seem like ignition interlocks are somewhere inside
the blurry line separating a healthy responsible society from a nanny
state (with childlike citizens who *need* a nanny to watch over them).
I don't really know how to frame the discussion I seek on this. The
obvious polarities are the libertarian pole I just suggested by invoking
the *term* "Nanny State" and another pole something like the very
bleeding heart ("poor drunk drivers, they can't help themselves") or
sanctimonious ("we have to do SOMETHING, it is just horrible!") or
pragmatic ("seems like an efficient way to handle this particular tail
of the distribution"). I have all 4 of these responses with the "Nanny
State" kneejerk strongest and the pragmatic response second. I *do*
believe there are people who "just can't help themselves" and maybe the
interlocks *do* help them help themselves and if someone close to me
were a victim of a DUI driver I might find the sanctimonious position
more appealing.
- Steve
Excellent on many counts, including the fact that it's shown to be
effective. As someone who is regularly on New Mexico roads, I say great!
On May 11, 2013, at 11:25 AM, Owen Densmore <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Worthy story, congrats Arlo!
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/article_40ec29c5-cdff-5a65-99b3-ec8fc5931de9.html
Now back to Silly Talk, and Rain Makes Applesauce!
-- Owen
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Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
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