What is wrong with this world...

Discussion in 'Science & Society' started by cosmictotem, Nov 21, 2014.

  1. cosmictotem Registered Senior Member

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    that there is a well followed weekly line up of Football programming but not a weekly science lecture drawing an equal portion of pageantry and interest? What is wrong with this planet that it would go that way as opposed to the other?

    This is more venting at society than question, obviously. But feel free to add your perspective or hypotheses.
     
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  3. Jake Arave Ethologist Registered Senior Member

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    People enjoy begin entertained rather than taught, I thought that this was obvious. I think there is a place for both, but I would never expect to watch more scientific programming than I do BPL football. I don't see any problem in this; just as long as science remains important in daily life (which it always will).
     
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  5. sculptor Valued Senior Member

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    The LCDs have taken over.
     
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  7. cosmictotem Registered Senior Member

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    Well, that would beg the question why don't people find science related programming immensely entertaining? I do.
     
  8. cosmictotem Registered Senior Member

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    That's another one that I don't get. The inmates are controlling the asylum. How are the smart ones and the science "aware" not controlling the planet?
     
  9. Motor Daddy Valued Senior Member

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    When has it ever been about anything other than $$$ and power? Since when does the smartest finish first? Nope, contrary to popular belief, the President is not the smartest person in the country. He may be considered to be the one that got the most votes, though (via money and power).
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2014
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  10. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    The dumbing down through the educational system of most students. Today all you need to do is just show up at school to be passed on to another grade. It is becoming worse as time goes by and soon only the rich who can send their kids to a private school will ever have a good education. There are exceptions of course but for the most part public education sucks.

    Then there's the discrepancy between the rich 1% and the rest of the people which also creates a type of mind set that anything that removes the boredom for the masses will be revered to them for they want entertainment nor knowledge for they have no critical thinking .
     
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  11. Landau Roof Registered Senior Member

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    Liquid crystal display?

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  12. cosmictotem Registered Senior Member

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    But some people who don't even have access to the best education still have an interest in learning about the world. Why would people be born favoring one interest over another? Why violent sports over civil intellectual inquiry, you know?

    The first scientist didn't have that curiosity put in him by an education system. It was already there.
     
  13. cosmictotem Registered Senior Member

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    748

    Lowest Common Denominator.
     
  14. Landau Roof Registered Senior Member

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    With due respect to our POTUS Mr. Obama, what 'smart' person would want to be president, especially these days? Have I said this before elsewhere? (Sorry if I have) It's kind of like in the old cowboy movies when they get the dumbest guy in their gun-slingin', crime-ridden town to be sheriff because no one else wants the job.
     
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  15. Motor Daddy Valued Senior Member

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    When they take the fame and fortune away from politics like it is with sanitation waste engineers, then the greedy, non productive oxygen thieving bastards will leave, and the smart people will roll in. But that ain't gonna happen anytime soon. Nope.
     
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  16. river

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    17,307
    People for the most part don't want to be informed and nor do they want to think any more

    Science has no balance of ideas

    And society as a whole has become political , i did this for you I expect something in return

    There was a time when people did things for others by an act of kindness and understanding

    Just good people doing good deeds with no expectation of the reciprocal , it was a natural attitude to have

    This is missing I think , generally speaking
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2014
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  17. Jake Arave Ethologist Registered Senior Member

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    That depends mostly upon individual preference I guess.
     
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  18. Russ_Watters Not a Trump supporter... Valued Senior Member

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    Duuuuude, the Eagles might go all the way this year!

    I can't imagine why you think there should be a weekly science lecture that draws millions of viewers or why you think the lack thereof represents a problem of some kind...
     
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  19. Russ_Watters Not a Trump supporter... Valued Senior Member

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    Since what the OP wishes for hasn't ever been true, it can't be caused by a "dumbing down" of society (whether such a thing exists or not).
     
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  20. wellwisher Banned Banned

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    The attraction for entertainment over science, has to do with culture having migrated from masculine to feminine; from conservative to liberal. In tradition, masculine is more about the mind while feminine is about feelings. Conservative and masculine is more based on the cause and effect of long term traditions, like science. Science is very conservative with its foundations changing slowly. Traditionally, the male had to provide and protect, against unpredictable changes and perturbations, so he needed good data and good intellectual skills for self reliance against unknown change; science.

    The female element is more about looking proper and conforming to cultural norms to raise children and make a nice home. Entertainment looks prettier; best of each genre, from the quality of movement in sports, to how one needs to act within the family and culture, via sitcoms and drama. This is less based on reason as emotional appeal.

    A masculine culture is more about the needs of self reliance which benefits more with those things that lie under the hood; science. The female element is more about body styling and therefore conformity, with entertainment and commercials defining the rules of prestige and conformity. Sports show the children how to play and hot dog for prestige; center stage. People get to become instant experts; image of knowledge.

    In masculine education, competition is important. This may be instinctively based on the males competing for females during mating season. In feminized education, it is more about image, such as getting a diploma, even if you don't earn it; make-up to remove blemishes. It is not about under the hood reading skills, but the piece of paper needed for a surface image.

    Feminized is more about feelings than about thinking, with entertainment better at inducing feelings. Science lacks feeling; Mr Spock, but is more for the mind; too masculine for culture. Liberal don't like religion because this is also masculine and requires abstract thinking; beyond what is in front of you. Faith is masculine because, like the male of old, you prepare for the unknown future.

    Masculine and feminine is not the same as male and female, since men and women both have masculine and feminine sides. Men can cry and be moody, while women can intellectualize. Masculine and feminine cultures tend to bring the men and women more to one side or the other. Liberalism is more feminized and slants culture toward the feminine side. This is why most of the media will supports liberalism; because the entertainment industry benefits by feminism. But since men and women both have male and female sides, science still plays a role, but more of a support role; behind the scenes.

    In a masculine culture, science, education, skills, ingenuity, and self reliance are more important, with entertainment playing more of a support role. It is nice to have distractions but bread and butter life is more about the needs of objective reality and not subjective fantasy and relative illusions to induce feelings for social conformity.
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2014
  21. Landau Roof Registered Senior Member

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    It's always the woman's fault, yes?
     
  22. The Marquis Only want the best for Nigel Valued Senior Member

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    Don't dismiss so easily, Landau.
    Think about it first.

    And don't think in terms of male and female. Consider those terms... labels.
     
  23. sculptor Valued Senior Member

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    I find science related programming immensely entertaining and interesting.
    It seemed that many programing venues started off where I would like them, then drifted into crap.
    How much geography is on the national geographic channel?
    What discoveries await on the discovery channel?
    Even iowa public television and National public television spend much more time entertaining than sharing scientific knowledge.
    If you've the time, maybe 1-2% of the television programming has some value beyond mindless entertainment.
    If I have time to lie about in the mornings there is some interesting stuff on the local junior college station(lectures on culture and history) , and on npt (some "how to" programing, and Paabo.) , but only for a couple hours.
    Personally, I'd rather read than see a video (excepting some ted talks, that I've found )
    and
    I really enjoyed Dr. Julie Brigham Grette's presentation available on youtube:
     
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