New York Times Readers Opinions
The New York Times

Home
Job Market
Real Estate
Automobiles
News
International
National
Washington
Business
Technology
Science
Health
Sports
New York Region
Education
Weather
Obituaries
NYT Front Page
Corrections
Opinion
Editorials/Op-Ed
Readers' Opinions


Features
Arts
Books
Movies
Travel
Dining & Wine
Home & Garden
Fashion & Style
Crossword/Games
Cartoons
Magazine
Week in Review
Multimedia
College
Learning Network
Services
Archive
Classifieds
Book a Trip
Personals
Theater Tickets
Premium Products
NYT Store
NYT Mobile
E-Cards & More
About NYTDigital
Jobs at NYTDigital
Online Media Kit
Our Advertisers
Member_Center
Your Profile
E-Mail Preferences
News Tracker
Premium Account
Site Help
Privacy Policy
Newspaper
Home Delivery
Customer Service
Electronic Edition
Media Kit
Community Affairs
Text Version
TipsGo to Advanced Search
Search Options divide
go to Member Center Log Out
  

 [F] New York Times on the Web Forums  / Science  /

    Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.


Earliest Messages Previous Messages Recent Messages Outline (11126 previous messages)

rshow55 - 06:24am Apr 5, 2003 EST (# 11127 of 11136) Delete Message
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

" What are the fundamentals ?

How to list them

Prioratise them

For most things - people would be able to do better than they do - if they counted cases and inverted the usual "status judgement" that they make.

The most basic and most important things people do are the things they do most frequently - and in the specific ways they actually do them.

Words are an example. The most common words are much more important than the others.

By setting up reasonable taxonomies, counting cases, refining the taxonomies, recounting - and keeping at it - it is usually straightforward to answer the question of what matters most and priority decisions come into focus.

People screw up about this to an amazing extent - because it goes against another basic rule - which is that to discriminate - you test difficult things - that many people can't do, or can't do well.

So the difficult is thought to be most important.

Virtually always - day to day - the most frequent things are the most important - but not noticed "because they are reliable."

When things are going wrong, or people don't know how do do jobs - these basics need to be taught-explained-worked into place - and need to be more reliable.

fredmoore - 06:25am Apr 5, 2003 EST (# 11128 of 11136)

Hey Dawn ..

I think historically when ever rapid technological changes occur we know that civilisation is on an equally rapid upturn. Advances in genetics are as capable of causing global war as was the advent of heavy industry and mass production in the 1930's. Unfortunately concurrent cultural turbulence creates divisions, tensions and often deadly conflict. I hope we make it through this new turbulence inspired by genetic science. The possibilities before us are quite extraordinary.

Better?

lchic - 06:31am Apr 5, 2003 EST (# 11129 of 11136)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Worse?

Heavy Industry was born of Ironbridge - 1730-ish

Genetic science was born of 'EVE'

Fred .... have you anything 'more'

up your sleeve?

rshow55 - 06:34am Apr 5, 2003 EST (# 11130 of 11136) Delete Message
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

With any sense at all, war can and ought to become much less frequent - and the idea that "genetics could cause global war" is ridiculous.

People do a lot of shameful things - but they ought to be smart enough to avoid that.

Though you can find more examples than anybody can count of horror and stupidity - people do a lot well.

lchic - 06:40am Apr 5, 2003 EST (# 11131 of 11136)
~~~~ It got understood and exposed ~~~~

Adam winked

Eve beamed

the first binary signal

later

memed

started communicational

flap

It's ancient

It's old

It's long on the map!

Binary Mode

dR3

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=meme++&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

fredmoore - 06:54am Apr 5, 2003 EST (# 11132 of 11136)

'Heavy Industry was born of Ironbridge - 1730-ish'

Yeah ... but they didn't have Panzers or Messerschmidts, did they? Big difference.

As for genetic science (including genetic engineering), I sincerely hope that no opportunity is taken to subjugate mankind in the transitional period from now to where it becomes mainstream.

However, that could happen and we need to be at least aware.

So if you wake up one morning with 2 heads ... don't post twice as much.

More Messages Recent Messages (4 following messages)

 Read Subscriptions  Subscribe  Search  Post Message
 Your Preferences

 [F] New York Times on the Web Forums  / Science  / Missile Defense





Home | Back to Readers' Opinions Back to Top


Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy | Contact Us