On 6 May 2004 06:35:06 GMT, Derrick Steed
wrote:


I should correct the impression given above - I wasn't trying to imply the
B50 did it electronically, but I did, although it seemed obvious to me
when
I wrote my bit that if it took the TE input then it used it as just that
in
the conventional way.

I cherish memories of a british army nationals pilot that I crewed for
back
in '69 and '70 trying to repair his diaphram compensator with a sheet of
latex material cut from a male contractive - I think he might have got a
lot
more pleasure from using it in the conventional manner.

I think the thread on high energy pull ups with or without water was
longer
- there was just as misconception, bogus physics, and appalling arithmetic
there too!

Still, it's a good laugh innit?

Rgds,

Derrick.



Sure is. Are you frightened too by the fact that we have a high tech
civilization that might as well be running on magic as far as most
people are concerned? I do know the quote about "any sufficiently
advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic". Arthur C. Clarke
wasn't it?


Mike

I remember the quote, I've read Arthur, it may also have been Isaac Asimov
(now there was an ego!) in his foundation series. The Arthur C. Clarke novel
which really sticks in my memory is "Childhoods end", the solution that the
aliens applied to prevent us from perpetuating all the cruelty we inflict on
other species on our planet was particularly aposite, GWB, Rumsfeld & co
could certainly do with a dose of it.

And yes, I am frightened by it - I get the feeling that once the princes of
this world get control of the information again (they had it back in the
middle ages, think about that), life will be a lot worse for all of us
because the technology _will_ be elevated to the status of magic with only
the wizards privy to the knowledge necessary to make sense of it. Or are we
already there?

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I'm a stupid theorist: the world is
controlled by very intelligent, very arrogant, extremely over-confident
people who seem to be terminally stupid to the extent that they can't see
the consequences of all their complicated plans and intrigues, with the
consequence that the rest of us suffer as a result.

Rgds,

Derrick.