Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences, Universityof Wisconsin - Green Bay
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I will respond to questions and comments as time permits, but if you want to take issuewith any position expressed here, you first have to answer this question:
What evidence would it take to prove your beliefs wrong?
I simply will not reply to challenges that do not address this question. Refutabilityis one of the classic determinants of whether a theory can be called scientific. Moreover,I have found it to be a great general-purpose cut-through-the-crap question to determinewhether somebody is interested in serious intellectual inquiry or just playing mind games.Note, by the way, that I am assuming the burden of proof here - all youhave to do is commit to a criterion for testing.It's easy to criticize science for being "closed-minded". Are you open-mindedenough to consider whether your ideas might be wrong?
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One of the more original science fiction series around is David Gerrold'sChtorran novels. The Chtorr are an alien (and so far non-intelligent) ecologythat is inexorably taking over the earth. Gerrold is best known for writing themost beloved Star Trek script of all time, The Trouble With Tribbles.So here we have a highly original writer with a very original concept, a goodplace to see what's right and wrong with science fiction.
The enemy is implacable, impersonal, and enigmatic, a challenge to fight andto figure out. One nifty twist is that many of the characters are real people,friends of Gerrold who paid to have their names included, with the money goingto charity. Some of the characters are highly engaging.
On the other hand, the lead character is about as unappealing as they come.He's a youngster who joined the Army to fight the threat, but he's so hopelesslyinept and immature and downright stupid you keep hoping one of the aliencritters eats him. At one point the people who are leading the war on the Chtorrplot to get him killed. Why? The guy is too inconsequential to bother with. Evengiven the disruption and loss of key people the invasion has caused, you canfind more competent people by placing a want ad. Put him to work fillingsandbags and never let him anywhere near sensitive information. That's what areal army would do.
At one point, he falls into the hands of a cult that worships the alienecology (something that would probably happen). He lives with them for a yearand lets himself be brainwashed rather than trying to escape.
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Created 03 December, 2002, Last Update 24 May, 2020
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