tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post1021596800192064993..comments2024-03-28T08:06:43.198-04:00Comments on The Silicon Graybeard: And The Word of the Day Is...SiGraybeardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-20632047742688019942013-12-27T17:19:55.563-05:002013-12-27T17:19:55.563-05:00The Interstate system was definitely not liberal a...The Interstate system was definitely not liberal arts types. The interstate system was designed so that the military could move assets around the country in the event of war. I've heard the main highways were specified so that a B-52 could land on one in an emergency; the width of lanes plus shoulders, the required straight segments, and the width of the "right of way" they maintain. Never having been up close and personal with the BUFF, I couldn't say for sure. <br /><br />SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-31892745192107623992013-12-27T12:28:11.047-05:002013-12-27T12:28:11.047-05:00I've been mulling over reply, and don't th...I've been mulling over reply, and don't think I can top your analysis. The only thing I'd add is that the last major accomplishment of the post World War II technocracy was the Interstate Highway system, and that was conceived and executed by non liberal arts types. I quite frankly can't point to a *single* accomplishment by the liberal arts types.Borepatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05029434172945099693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-47134625895288765942013-12-24T13:37:07.742-05:002013-12-24T13:37:07.742-05:00Something I first heard from a deep sea diving ins...Something I first heard from a deep sea diving instructor:<br /><br />Q: What is the difference between an expert and a professional?<br />A: An expert knows no limits, a professional knows their limits. Be wary of anyone who considers themselves an expert (in anything).<br /><br />As for this Tom Nichols guy's tirade, I could only a page into it. Looked at his CV, <br />a BA in political science,<br />a MA in political science, and,<br />a PhD in government.<br /><br />Well, that's the problem right there - the guy is a bullshit artist. <br /><br />He should feel lucky he even has job, but gets all uppity when somebody of lesser letters actually has a political opinion.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-57739006228254492402013-12-23T16:30:53.378-05:002013-12-23T16:30:53.378-05:00Me? Personally, no, I don't wouldn't want...Me? Personally, no, I don't wouldn't want a homeopathic treatment for arthritis. But if someone else wants to waste their time and money on a placebo, they're welcome to. I just don't want them to waste my time and money. <br /><br />The problem is when the experts in charge say the homeopathic treatment is something I should pay for, so that someone else can get their care. <br /><br />Today, experts like Barrow say I need to pay for insurance for substance abuse and sex change surgery (as of right now, I've had less than a half dozen glasses of wine all year, and nothing stronger). I'm willing to take the risk I'll never need that and not buy insurance for it. Someone else might have a problem and need to buy that, so Barrow insists I pay for them in my insurance. In making me do so, Barrow is not making choices I think are in my best interest, although he insists he is. <br /><br />SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-37651635218539069782013-12-23T14:39:55.620-05:002013-12-23T14:39:55.620-05:00I don't disagree that experts are often wrong....I don't disagree that experts are often wrong. However experts are usually wrong for very good reasons. It should also be noted that when a chessmaster plays against a crowdsourced opponent, usually the chessmaster wins in a very short time. The book, "The wisdom of crowds" goes far to democratizing intelligence as far as "getting the right asnwer."<br /><br />I think that is more applicable to politics and software than it is to engineering or science.<br /><br />But on the flip side of that, do you really want someone with a degree in homeopathy to treat your arthritis with essential oils? I don't have to respect the opinion of someone who consistently fails to show that their "treatment" has any statistical difference than "placebo" but continues to claim efficacy.SordidPandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00657526230826604643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-20010612705261721332013-12-23T14:10:13.686-05:002013-12-23T14:10:13.686-05:00And of course each reversal represents many people...And of course each reversal represents many people injured or killed by a bad product they approved, while the number of people hurt by their failure to approve products is uncountable.Xenoclesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-52720026288978811262013-12-23T14:08:47.201-05:002013-12-23T14:08:47.201-05:00I may have emphasized the douchebaggery too much, ...I may have emphasized the douchebaggery too much, to get readers attention, but my main point shows that he's saying how much better he is than us, which indicates he's not willing to be taught. <br /><br />There's a line to walk in there, and I thought I was doing so when I said, <i> Now don't get me wrong: we do have some people who read a few articles about something on Wikipedia, or on a blog, and think they're as qualified as someone who has studied the subject for decades...</i> and proceeded to write most of a paragraph on the topic. You will never hear me say there's no place for education or degrees or 30 years experience in some field. <br /><br />I'm a staunch believer in individual rights and responsibilities, and that means people have a right to be stupid - even fatally so. The problem, again as I said in that paragraph, <i> only the most arrogant, self-centered elitists would refuse to admit that the elites are quite frequently wrong about extremely important things.</i> If Joey Bagadonuts is stupid and gets himself killed, it's Joey's problem. As Borepatch pointed out, all the Joey Bagadonuts(es?) who worked for the CIA overestimated the USSR's abilities quite a bit, hurting all of us. Likewise, if Joey works for the FDA and gets people killed by advising them to eat a diet that gives them diabetes, he hurts a lot more people. <br /><br />Honest people admit they might be wrong. Elitists never do. <br />SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-71223708505716005392013-12-23T13:45:26.505-05:002013-12-23T13:45:26.505-05:00How many times has the FDA reversed itself, for in...<i>How many times has the FDA reversed itself, for instance?</i> As a guess, I'd say roughly about half as often as they should have. <br /><br />SiGraybeardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00280583031339062059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-89107220337114373922013-12-23T12:50:27.074-05:002013-12-23T12:50:27.074-05:00Ignorant mistakes are one thing when one person ma...Ignorant mistakes are one thing when one person makes them for himself, but they become rather more dangerous when one person makes them forcefully for millions. How many times has the FDA reversed itself, for instance?Xenoclesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1592992209402300549.post-79101746985860076182013-12-23T11:59:02.292-05:002013-12-23T11:59:02.292-05:00You are committing an ad hominem fallacy. Sure th...You are committing an ad hominem fallacy. Sure the guy came off as a douchebag, but his argument is independent of any asshattery on his part.<br /><br />Allow me to play devils advocate for a second...<br /><br />How many times have you had to explain to people that "free energy" is a scam? How many times have you had to explain how electricity actually works? How many times have you had to explain that battery technology is very mature and simply throwing government research money at it won't solve the electric storage issues needed to make "alternative energy" a profitable reality?<br /><br />But really, I saw this advertisement on the web that said, "Power companies HATE this!" and "Local Mom figures out free energy!" so it MUST be true! You can't put it on the internet if it isn't true!<br /><br />Then again, how many times have you had to explain to someone that the Vice President's advice of shooting a shotgun through a closed door qualifies as "criminally stupid advice"?<br /><br />This is the point where people who don't know have stupid opinions, and you spend time educating them before they can understand why they don't have a clue what they are talking about. SordidPandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00657526230826604643noreply@blogger.com