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Re: Modern Science for Primitive Times...



On Mon, 3 Feb 1997, Dwight K. Souder wrote:

If you were some how transported back in time (anywhere from B.C.
to early A.D.) with only the clothes on your back and the knowledge in
your head, how could you benefit the "primitive" people? For example, if
you were transported to early North America, long before the white
settlers made contact with the natives, what could you do to benefit the
natives? Keep in mind, the only tool you have is the knowledge in your
head.

How much I could benefit them by the knowledge in my head would depend a
lot on where (which tribe) I ended up. There is a big cultural issue here
of what is really a benefit ... but I'll assume the question is from my
own perspective (if I think its a benefit, then its a benefit).

The trap here is to believe that bringing them some measure of
technological advancement from our bag of tricks is the greatest benefit
we could bring as a scientist. So one can dream of double-walled teepees
for greater comfort, teaching night-time navigation by the stars (I don't
know how much of this North American tribes would have already known),
perhaps some tricks for improving whatever tools they were using ...
However, I find this unsettling. The reason I suspect is that I've always
said that my ability to think/how I approach things is far more important
than the particular knowledge I have. So perhaps the greatest advance I
could give them would be a written form of their language, basic math, and
above all else the methodology which will put them on the path to making
their own advancements over time. As I said though, this is a culturally
biased perspective which would likely run against established practices
and beliefs.

|++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++|
| Doug Craigen |
| |
| If you think Physics is no laughing matter, think again .... |
| http://cyberspc.mb.ca/~dcc/phys/humor.html |
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