Re: whale brains

H. M. Hubey (
22 Nov 1995 18:24:01 -0500 (Phillip Bigelow) writes:

>I have to laugh at the direction this dialog has taken. The problem is
>discussed in the perceptive musings of S.J. Gould in _The Mismeasure of
>Man_, and Carl Sagan's tome _Boca's Brain_. (two good reads that relate to
>the history of science, and how it is often mis-applied).

It always amuses me to find people who still can't tell the
most obvious facts from fiction.

> It is truely frustrating to try to identify the tact that Hubey is trying
>to take on this subject. He seems to have some type of agenda, but it
>escapes me.

The agenda is clear. It's to impart common sense.

Tell me do you have an up-down meter with which you can tell if
the apples fall up or down? Did Newton?

How did the thermometer get invented. Did the martians tell
Fahrenheit that when the fluid in the bulb goes up, it means that
it's getting hotter or did he just know it? how did he know it?
did he just feel it? did he sweat?

how do you know what is further away? do you carry a ruler with
you in your pocket?

Are you getting any common sense yet?

This is the part they forget to tell you when you read about
the scientific method and how it's done.


Regards, Mark