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How a Shrimp Treadmill Became a Political Plaything

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Re: How a Shrimp Treadmill Became a Political Plaything

#61

Post by anigbrowl »

wozniacki wrote: post #58
anigbrowl wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who works in the film industry, Hollywood makes movies that reflects the public's hopes and fears. It doesn't do dystopia for its own sake, any more than it does mindless techno-optimism. Picking out the re-release of Blade Runner as an example of what Hollywood churns out 'like clockwork' seems self-contradictory to say the least. On the larger question of why we don't have a lobby to fund basic research,…

For someone who "works" in the film industry, you seem to be gleefully unaware of Hollywood's fondness for dystopia. Interstellar might be one of the few newer breed of films that actually casts human space travel in some positive light. In fact one is left wanting for instances of the "techno-optimism" - mindless or otherwise - that you describe of, in Hollywood flicks. List of dystopian films http://en.wikipedia.or…

Hollywood is fond of conflict because that's where drama comes from, as observed by Aristotle a couple of millenia ago. Nobody is interested in a story where the protagonist doesn't have any problems, which is why there's a genral shortage of utopian literature in the first place: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_utopian_literature

A good number of the films listed by Wikipedia as dystopian technology is working out just fine for most people while disenfranchising a few - much as in our own world. Insofar as dystopianism is aesthetically fashionable it's largely reflective of contemporary economic or political anxieties rather than being predicated on technology. Total recall (both versions) are listed as dystopian, for example, but those films are quite neutral on the impact of technology - the dystopian element is that of economic coercion resulting from a natural monopoly (oxygen on Mars in the original; the labor supply chain in the remake).

I could dig into examples at length and compare them with positive and negative views of the future from earlier eras of film, but I'm not sure it would be worth the effort given your needlessly snide tone.

Re: How a Shrimp Treadmill Became a Political Plaything

#62

Post by djur »

wozniacki wrote: post #35
sharkweek wrote: post #5

I highly recommend folks watch Particle Fever (for a variety of reasons, and it's on Netflix), but one section particularly stuck out, when the documentary addresses the original LHC location in Texas being de-funded. It shows members of congress arguing how "discovering the origins of the universe" should not be a priority. I think it's easy to make a very public argument against budgeting research, as the general p…

When these topics, concerning the general disinterestedness and the indifference of the voting populace toward science and technology come up, one is left to wonder how it is even arithmetically possible in 2014, that there isn't yet a financially lofty interest-group apparatus in Washington, advancing policies that collectively foster the cause of basic research in science & tech. Where are the think tanks? Where ar…

Regarding [2]: the incumbent in CA-17 is a popular liberal Democrat, who like most liberal Democrats supports funding for science and technology. He had as much support from the tech industry as a whole as his primary opponent, who was funded in great measure by extremely wealthy Silicon Valley executives and investors. Said opponent ran a campaign to the right of the incumbent, littered with gibberish like "disruptive" and "Government 2.0".

I don't identify with the "we" that tried to elect that guy. To me, it looks like a handful of tech billionaires trying and failing to buy a seat in Congress. If they really want to support science and technology, there's a lot of districts in the R+5 range where diligence and money could help elect centrist technocrats (with any letter after their name) rather than yet another good ol' boy.

Re: How a Shrimp Treadmill Became a Political Plaything

#63

Post by wozniacki »

lmartel wrote: post #54
wozniacki wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It pays to actually explore the links, provided. There are some people who prefer the original's gritty Chandleresque voice-over narration and the ambiguous happy ending (both supposedly forced on Scott), but the Final Cut is a more disturbing tale of dehumanisation.

I have to agree with the sibling comment here, I still have no idea what you're getting at with the Blade Runner stuff or how it ties into the rest of your point.

You have me truly puzzled over whether you are feigning incomprehension over this or you honestly don't get what the ordinary joe six-pack or the average hockey mom makes of a future filled with dehumanizing conditions for mankind when coupled with the film's vivid representation of replicants [1] not to mention the deluge of postindustrial decay in its imagery.

If you are truly clueless of how those images translate to the "Normals" [2] whose only introduction to anything remotely scientific is a staple diet of Ancient Aliens [3] and similar pseudoscience shows on History Channel, then you could really use a road trip through the flyover states of America.

Strike that. Just venture into Tracy or Morgan Hill or Walnut Creek, if you live in the Bay Area.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replicant

[2] http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/31/the-only-normal-people-are-...

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Aliens

Re: How a Shrimp Treadmill Became a Political Plaything

#64

Post by astrange »

lern_too_spel wrote: post #10
exstudent wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just the US. Just today the UK press made the lead scientist of the Rosetta mission cry by attacking his SHIRT instead of celebrating his achievements. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/11231320/Rosetta-mi...

Nonsense. His achievement was celebrated as well. His shirt is the kind of thing that keeps women away from science, so the fact that he publicly acknowledged his error will make other scientists more consciously think about inclusivity, helping science in the long run.

His shirt was a handmade gift from his friend's wife, who's a tattoo artist.

I would personally be surprised to find out that tattoo artists are the kind of thing that keeps women away from science. I mean, it's probably a rare interaction. Blaming their parents seems more productive.

Re: How a Shrimp Treadmill Became a Political Plaything

#65

Post by Houshalter »

sharkweek wrote: post #5

I highly recommend folks watch Particle Fever (for a variety of reasons, and it's on Netflix), but one section particularly stuck out, when the documentary addresses the original LHC location in Texas being de-funded. It shows members of congress arguing how "discovering the origins of the universe" should not be a priority. I think it's easy to make a very public argument against budgeting research, as the general p…

Has the LHC ever produced any benefit to humanity? Serious question.

Re: How a Shrimp Treadmill Became a Political Plaything

#66

Post by maxine0says »

exstudent wrote: post #4
trhway wrote: post #3

War on Science in US is astounding. It is amazing how US still manages to be ahead in most areas of science and technology.

It's not just the US. Just today the UK press made the lead scientist of the Rosetta mission cry by attacking his SHIRT instead of celebrating his achievements. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/11231320/Rosetta-mi...

This is stupid. His shirt looks like old pinball artwork. It's obviously a vintage throwback that's harmless to anyone who isn't currently obsessed with gender politics.

These feminists are so divorced from reality they are desperate and seeing everything through the prism of their bunk thought-experiments that they have to make literally everything about their imaginary oppression.

Can we have one good news story without trying to make it relevant to your gender-studies major?

Re: How a Shrimp Treadmill Became a Political Plaything

#67

Post by pyre »

wozniacki wrote: post #63
lmartel wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have to agree with the sibling comment here, I still have no idea what you're getting at with the Blade Runner stuff or how it ties into the rest of your point.

You have me truly puzzled over whether you are feigning incomprehension over this or you honestly don't get what the ordinary joe six-pack or the average hockey mom makes of a future filled with dehumanizing conditions for mankind when coupled with the film's vivid representation of replicants [1] not to mention the deluge of postindustrial decay in its imagery. If you are truly clueless of how those images translate…

> You have me truly puzzled over whether you are feigning incomprehension over this or you honestly don't get what the ordinary joe six-pack or the average hockey mom makes of a future filled with dehumanizing conditions for mankind when coupled with the film's vivid representation of replicants [1] not to mention the deluge of postindustrial decay in its imagery.

The point that you are making will always seem clear as day to you because you are the one that believes it. The onus is on you to make sure that the rest of the world can understand it if you want to effectively communicate with others. If you have multiple people saying that they don't understand you, throwing up your hands in the air and saying, "Y'all must be trollin'" isn't very useful.

That said, we don't need to delve into fictional cyberpunk dystopias to find examples of "science run amok," so I'm not really understanding how getting movie critics to write editorials criticizing movies that show us bleak futures is all that useful, or necessary.

Re: How a Shrimp Treadmill Became a Political Plaything

#68

Post by xtrumanx »

inclemnet wrote: post #36
OSButler wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

His shirt is the kind of thing that keeps women away from science? This all started with s.o. being offended by it while watching the original interview, but how can you come to such a conclusion based on that? Did the female student's lecture attendance/signup rate plummet since that interview? Is there any kind of imperial evidence that this person's shirt is making female students turn away from science? I honestl…

> but how can you come to such a conclusion based on that? I don't think anyone can prove it right now, only find it plausible or probable. Of course that's a long way from proof, but the opposite is also true - can you demonstrate that this shirt, in the context of a wider trend of what people can and do wear, does not affect the number of women in science? > Did the female student's lecture attendance/signup rate p…

> can you demonstrate that this shirt, in the context of a wider trend of what people can and do wear, does not affect the number of women in science?

We also can't demonstrate that it was in fact the shirt that made him such a great scientist.

Re: How a Shrimp Treadmill Became a Political Plaything

#69

Post by trhway »

maxine0says wrote: post #66
exstudent wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just the US. Just today the UK press made the lead scientist of the Rosetta mission cry by attacking his SHIRT instead of celebrating his achievements. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/11231320/Rosetta-mi...

This is stupid. His shirt looks like old pinball artwork. It's obviously a vintage throwback that's harmless to anyone who isn't currently obsessed with gender politics. These feminists are so divorced from reality they are desperate and seeing everything through the prism of their bunk thought-experiments that they have to make literally everything about their imaginary oppression. Can we have one good news story wi…

He should have had naked males in leather straps there too, I guess.

Re: How a Shrimp Treadmill Became a Political Plaything

#70

Post by [deleted] »

pyre wrote: post #67
wozniacki wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have me truly puzzled over whether you are feigning incomprehension over this or you honestly don't get what the ordinary joe six-pack or the average hockey mom makes of a future filled with dehumanizing conditions for mankind when coupled with the film's vivid representation of replicants [1] not to mention the deluge of postindustrial decay in its imagery. If you are truly clueless of how those images translate…

> You have me truly puzzled over whether you are feigning incomprehension over this or you honestly don't get what the ordinary joe six-pack or the average hockey mom makes of a future filled with dehumanizing conditions for mankind when coupled with the film's vivid representation of replicants [1] not to mention the deluge of postindustrial decay in its imagery. The point that you are making will always seem clear…

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