*** One correction (addition) and one modification (replacement) to my
post below: ***
...Bill!--- In [email protected], "Bill!" wrote:
>
> William!
>
> Talk about laying landmines...
>
> I ASSUME by the phrase 'ending the War with Japan' you're referring to
the atomic bombs dropped there; and I also ASSUME you're relating these
war-ending bombs back to Einstein's theories. If I've read this wrong
please let me know. The reason I accuse you of burying this landmine is
that (as I'm sure you know) Einstein was vehemently opposed to using any
of his work as the basis for building weapons - especially the atomic
bomb; so the 'credit' should not go to Einstein but to other scientists
(mathematicians and physicists) and engineers of that era - like
Oppenheimer maybe?
>
> That said I will answer your question but I'll rephrase it just a
little bit: It is more in line with my zen practice (not more
important) to be a good parent (not raise a good child) than it is to
develop technology (even if it did help end a war).
>
> I've made previous reference to a circa 1945 essay by Arthur Koestler
entitled THE YOGI AND THE COMMISSAR. It explores the two different
approaches to 'changing the world'. The commissar attempts to change
people by changing society through governmental laws and acts. The yogi
attempts to change people by first changing himself, and then one other
person, and then one other, etc... The commissar works from the top
down whereas the yogi from the bottom up. I suppose in this case you
could substitute 'scientist' for 'commissar'.
>
> The zen I've been taught and practice is definitively a 'bottom up'
approach. So is being a good parent.
>
> I'M STILL ANXIOUS TO READ EDGAR'S RESPONSE TO MERLE'S ORIGINAL
QUESTION: "...and the point to make here is: what is the greater task:
raising the good child or figuring out relativity?"
>
> ...Bill!
>
> --- In [email protected], William Rintala brintala@ wrote:
> >
> > I'd like to weigh in here. The question is way too nebulous to
answer and is
> > fraught with many linguistic landmines. I am certain that
Adolph and Osama and
> > Jeffrey Dahmer's mothers all raised good children. Einstein's
greatest
> > achievement wasn't his work on Relativity where he postulated that
events viewed
> > from different planes of reference appeared to obey different laws
of physics.Â
> > His greatest acheivement was his mathematical proof that matter and
energy were
> > the same. E=MC^2. He also did work on the photovoltaic
effect and I think that
> > it was what one hime his Nobel Prize. He devoted his later life
to working on a
> > Unified Field Theorem which I believe he never finished. So
which is the
> > greater task raising Jeffry Dahmer or ending the War with Japan?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: Bill! BillSmart@
> > To: [email protected]
> > Sent: Sun, May 5, 2013 7:53:37 PM
> > Subject: [Zen] Re: blame game
> >
> > Â
> > Edgar,
> >
> > Merle asked a brilliant question in her post below. I'd like to hear
your
> > answer. The question was:
> >
> > "...and the point to make here is: what is the greater task: raising
the good
> > child or figuring out relativity?"
> >
> > What say you?
> >
> > ...Bill!
> >
> > --- In [email protected], Merle Lester wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ÃÂ joe and edgar..
> > >
> > > he was too busy inside his head..and some circles say he was with
autism
> > >spectrum..
> > >
> > > leave the everyday work to wifey...who by the way was a scientist
in her own
> > >right till she met up with einstein..
> > >
> > > as all wifey's they ended up carrying the baby, tending to baby,
tending to the
> > >everyday whist the smart hubby does his thingi...ÃÂ
> > >
> > > not so with madame curie though...ÃÂ
> > >
> > > you have to be a strong woman to stand up to the male chauvinist
pig..and that
> > >was einstein.
> > >
> > > ÃÂ and the point to make here is: what is the greater task:
raising the good
> > >child or figuring out relativity?
> > >
> > > ÃÂ the point we can make here is einstein need not have
married...made misery
> > >for the wifey..
> > >
> > > did he think before he leapt and began breeding?
> > >
> > >
> > > merle.... ÃÂ
> > > ÃÂ
> > >
> > >
> > > ÃÂ
> > > Edgar,
> > >
> > > Poor slob didn't or couldn't take care of himself. True statement.
> > >
> > > --Joe
> > >
> > > > Edgar Owen wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Merle,
> > > >
> > > > Joe said Einstein was a jerk because he didn't comb his hair!
> > > >
> > > > Is that Zen?
> > > >
> > > > Edgar
> > >
> >
>
