> Fra: mike wilson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > From: DagT <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: 2006/07/26 Wed PM 12:04:42 GMT > > To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <pdml@pdml.net> > > Subject: Re: Re: Talk about crap > > > > > Fra: "frank theriault" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > On 7/25/06, graywolf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > I will defend the guys right to get up on a soap box, or write on the > > > > Internet, but I do not think he should be given official sanction or tax > > > > payer dollars to do so. Are we required to support every crackpot who > > > > wishes to tell us about his hallucinations? > > > > > > It rankles me that people use the "not with my tax dollars" argument > > > to try to muzzle academics whose views don't coincide with theirs. > > > > > > I didn't realize that part of the deal with public funds going to > > > universities was to allow the public to set curriculum, or otherwise > > > tell profs what to say (or not to say). > > > > > > In fact, I thought that tax dollars going to post-secondary > > > institutions was all about recognizing that the particular values and > > > freedoms of academia were worth preserving and promoting, not so that > > > the government or the people could use that funding as a platform to > > > promote personal or popular agendas or censor unpopular thoughts. > > > > > > I guess I'm naive. > > > > > Then so am I. > > > > Academia not only has to allow unpopular view, it depends upon it. All > > science is based on the ciritical > >discussion of any subject. If you throw out the discussions you may very > >well throw out thoughts and > >solutions that may turn out to be valuable. > > > > If the students in this case learns to be critical toward the professors > > views, and hopefully to any professors > >view, they have learned something very valuable, as science is based on a > >sceptical view on authorities. If the > >discussions about his methods make them more aware of the methods they use > >themselves it is also a good > >thing, because the scientific method (in any science) is more valuable than > >the recent findings and conclusions. > > > > DagT > > You can just picture the scene a few decades ago: > > Mad Professor: > "I've had an idea about his photography business. Everyone is sick of > waiting for film to be processed, > accidentally getting light on it, having to pay through the nose for > processing. Why don't we try to capture the > image on one of those silicon devices the Limeys have invented and then make > a device that prints it by spitting > ink at paper?" > > All the Bubbas in the lecture theatre roll about like Cadbury's Smash > Martians, while the Japanese exchange > student writes in his/her notebook....
If in the US The Eastman Kodak Company would probably withdraw their fundings from his university and the mad professor would be out on the street. DagT -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
