emergence

the author says:

fuck this

the author says:

making a blog

the author says:

http://academicpolemic.blogspot.com/

old man. says:

nice

old man. says:

im digging it...

old man. says:

ill frequent it...and make comments on my realm of knowledge

the author says:

sick

the author says:

i'll try to post from what i'm working on...but bring in other insights

old man. says:

pure science?

old man. says:

im not sure what that is... whats wrong with polemics?

old man. says:

i guess polemics are speculative

old man. says:

?

the author says:

pure science, just like, experiments

the author says:

musing on science for the sake of science

the author says:

when i think polemics, i think, firery

the author says:

highly critical

the author says:

combative

old man. says:

yes same here

old man. says:

but what is wrong with that?

the author says:

it's just hardly ever done in academics!

old man. says:

i guess so...

the author says:

haha

the author says:

you're totally deflating me

the author says:

i'm thinkinng about it as anti-science, but also informed by science

the author says:

like, if we take (climate) science to it's logical conclusion, we have to be polemical

the author says:

we need to be critical of pretty much everything going on

the author says:

and bring that into our academic work

the author says:

it can't just float around on top of everything else

old man. says:

no sorry...my prof just sent me an email...telling me what i needed for a deadline...where upon they decide whether they will let you finish or not...and im shitting myself cuz im not close to any of the requirements

the author says:

oh shit

the author says:

OK, git 'er done

the author says:

i'm posting this conversation on the blog

old man. says:

but no i just gotta forget about it...we can have this discussion

the author says:

haha

old man. says:

so you're saying that polemical works are normally disregarded?

the author says:

not necessarily

the author says:

just that they're rare

the author says:

most people that operate within science don't try to connect it to anything in their lives

the author says:

i mean, it's hard, in a lot of disciplines, but that's a problem with Science in general

the author says:

within my discipline(s) i _can_ connect it, and if i do, i see the need to be iconoclastic, everywhere

the author says:

with respect to growth, consumption, capitalism, politics

the author says:

etc

the author says:

and the fact is that not a lot of people (although some, for sure) are getting into it enough, connecting the things that they're doing with what's actually happening

the author says:

taking it to its logical endpoint, and writing things that are highly critical and questioning

the author says:

so i just realized that this morning

the author says:

when looking at this other blog

the author says:

and how immersed in science it was

old man. says:

and how it sorta misses on other points -- and has no connection with other aspects of society?

the author says:

right.

the author says:

but ostensibly some of the smartest people in the world are working on sciencey things

the author says:

and wouldn't it be great if we could get them thinking about these issues?

the author says:

or things that could actually improve lives.

old man. says:

well i think there are multiple think tanks which contain a large cross-section of different disciplines -- but ya... i think you're right in academia it is rare

the author says:

i don't think there's anything wrong with monodisciplinary pursuits

the author says:

except when they're totally for their own sake

old man. says:

well ya... so how do you plan on approaching the next step in your blog?

old man. says:

will you be raising certain issues to be discussed?

the author says:

i think that i'll try to discuss specific things that i'm working on

the author says:

and how they relate to the other issues that i'd like to discuss

the author says:

but sure, raising specific issues for discussion unrelated to my work

the author says:

but related to Science or Academics would also work

the author says:

i think i should start out trying to post like twice a week

the author says:

and go from there

the author says:

that's a good amount of writing

old man. says:

ya ya for sure...

old man. says:

i mean do all arguments have to be well formulated?

the author says:

no , of course not

the author says:

but everything should be iconoclastic in some way

the author says:

questioning, incisive

old man. says:

oh ok...iconoclasm as a concept

old man. says:

im thinking about a different iconoclasm

the author says:

how do you understand it?

old man. says:

iconoclasm...as i understood occured within fine art where medieval art communicated bliblical stories and ideas with symbols (objects) within the scenery

old man. says:

then the iconoclast ruptured the meaning from object...

old man. says:

so its basically the same thing

the author says:

right

the author says:

i understand it as basically tearing down icons

old man. says:

ya but i thought u were refering to particular icons of science...which...i dont know of

the author says:

where 'icons' are pervasive cultural mental models

the author says:

about markets, eating, science, consumption, etc

the author says:

etc

the author says:

anything

the author says:

everything.

old man. says:

dude im totally down with that

the author says:

sick.

old man. says:

against method... totally pwns

old man. says:

you should read it

the author says:

yeah, i had it signed out last year

the author says:

but never did

the author says:

i will make another effort this quarter

old man. says:

i love it...i dont understand the sciencey stuff...but that arguments humilitating logic with...logic is awesome. and gives a lot of fragility to deduction and science ingeneral