[thechat] World Question Center

[Luther, Ron]

Joel sent in a very interesting link:

>>http://www.edge.org/q2006/q06_index.html

>>For some reason I am slightly disturbed at the apparent juxtaposition 
>>of the only two names I recognize: Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi and
Michael 
>>Nesmith.


Hi Joel,

(I just looked through the names.  I'll go back and read further when 
I have more time.)

Well, I'm not familiar with that Mahalyi feller, but I do recognize 
the son of the liquid paper lady. (Gee he looks old in that picture!)

;-)

A few more names popped up as familiar as well:

* Ray Kurzweil - Aw c'mon Joel!  I know you know who this guy is!  
Every music junkie everywhere is familiar with that name.  You musta 
just skipped over his name since it's near the end of the list.

* Gregory Benford - Pretty good sci-fi writer, sometimes collaborates 
with David Brin, who is also a decent sci-fi writer.  IIRC, (always 
a gamble), Benford is a bit more 'hard sci-fi' and Brin is a bit 
more playful.  Brin's "Uplift" series was pretty good fun.  Brin's 
"Kiln People" book was also fun, refreshing, and imaginative.

* Freeman Dyson - I'm not at all familiar with his work ... but since 
El Reg, (source of indisputable truth that it unquestionably is), 
seems to spend so much time making fun of him ... I'm not sure 
I _want_ to become familiar with his work.

* Lynn Margulis - Whoa! Damn!  Haven't seen that name pop up in a very 
very very long time. Had to check her resume to see where I had run 
across her work. Interesting (and, at the time, controversial) ideas 
on mitochondrial evolution - although I most likely only read 
popularized references to her work a few decades ago. Also, (probably 
mistakenly), I seem to connect her name with the Club of Rome's old 
'Limits to Growth' work ... probably because of her connection with 
development of the Gaia stuff. <shrug /> Serious 'blast from the past' 
moment here.



But still a most interesting link!


Thanks,

RonL.

My son playing the Breedlove over Christmas break (146 Kb):
http://www.fangsnclaws.com/Photo/Guitar%20Dave%202.jpg