So, Whom Are We Trying To Fool Then?

For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.
—    Richard P. Feynman
From his book:  “The Pleasure of Finding Things Out“
[The above quote is from Feynman’s report on the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster (frozen O-rings – the danger of which was discounted by management).  It appears to me to be equally applicable in a host of other areas:  biological warfare, fracking, corporate fishing and farming, etc.
If there is no global warming and we reduce / stop polluting, the Earth’s ecosystem continues and mankind lives;  if there is global warming and we don’t reduce / stop polluting, the ecosystem collapses and most – if not all – of humanity perishes.  We can continue to roll the dice, but who’s fooling whom?      —    kmab]
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Stretching Science

It is a part of the adventure of science to try to find a limitation in all directions and to stretch the human imagination as far as possible everywhere.  Although at every stage it has looked as if such an activity was absurd and useless, it often turns out at least not to be useless.
—    Richard P. Feynman
From his book:  “The Pleasure Of Finding Things Out“
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Two Heritages

Western civilization, it seems to me, stands by two great heritages.  One is the scientific spirit of adventure — the adventure into the unknown, an unknown which must be recognized as being unknown in order to be explored;  the demand that the unanswerable mysteries of the universe remain unanswered;  the attitude that all is uncertain;  to summarize it — the humility of the intellect.  The other great heritage is Christian ethics — the basis of action on love, the brotherhood of all men, the value of the individual — the humility of the spirit.
These two heritages are logically, thoroughly consistent.  But logic is not all;  one needs one’s heart to follow an idea.  If people are going back to religion, what are they going back to?  Is the modern church a place to give comfort to a man who doubts God — more, one who disbelieves in God?  Is the modern church a place to give comfort and encouragement to the value of such doubts?  So far, have we not drawn strength and comfort to maintain the one or the other of these consistent heritages in a way which attacks the values of the other?  Is this unavoidable?  How can we draw inspiration to support these two pillars of western civilization so that they may stand together in full vigor, mutually unafraid?  Is this not the central problem of our time?
—    Richard P. Feynman
From his book:  “The Pleasure of Finding Things Out“
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