Saturday, December 7, 2013

thought for the day/ another space technology video/Isaac Asimov commentary


This video is a bit U.S. space program biased, but it has the plus of having commentary from Isaac Asimov.  Isaac is generally arguing for James Burkian connections; that the space program wouldn't have happened without a lot of cultural build up before the Apollo and space programs in general were even possible.

Some, like Jacob Bronowski, have tried to see connections between all human intellectual activity.  I think there some connections; but, it's more of a formative kind.  I'm sure that poetry, drawing was important for the development of human intelligence; and it can still exercise the human mind.  And, as Jacob points out, mathematics and poetry/mythology share a common traint of analogy, no mathematical concept was ever derived logically out of mythology.

Another idea that Isaac hits on, but perhaps doesn't explicitly state is that humanity if the science/technologically dependent animal.  He's simply pointing out that the space program will have spin-off technology benefits. Seems that the idea of the human species is the science/technologicaly dependent species is either 1) not that easy of a concept to hit on, or 2) people can't emotionaly take it in.  If you google mankind the science/technologically dependent species, you don't get much.

Overall, the video is good fun.

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