Re: science fears

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Crow Leader by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <presence-at-churchofinformationwarfare-dot-org>

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Monday, October 01, 2001 12:00 AM
Subject: Re: science fears


> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<Parpp807-at-aol-dot-com>
>
> In a message dated 9/30/01 12:47:57 PM Central Daylight Time,
> tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:
>
> <<  you need a human subject "permit" to even ask people questions in
Chicago.
>
>  Not surprising, and, as far as education goes, good training for real
>  research, where you will also need to justify your questions in front of
a
>  committee, etc.
>   >>
>
> I was going to stay out of this because my only experience with science
fairs
> was in Chicago where the only purpose of the fair is to serve as a promo
for
> the Chicago
> "school" system. Science and education have nothing to do with it.  I
always
> thot
> that science research projects were supposedly reviewed by those with
> competence in the field of research and not by a bunch of politically
correct
> twits and hacks.
>
> What I am reading in this current thread is worrisome.  I even infer from
> some of the postings that learning the skills of prevarication (lying,
> actually), obfuscation, and general sucking up have now become desirable
> skills. If true, we are in a very bad way.

True, while you might pick up some less favorable skills, it is good to
learn how to write things up for the reports which you will only lear after
doing it many times. If you wanted a real grant for something you must
present it in writing and this is an important ability to have. Nobody
writes up the process of doing something for fun, and a fair is a great way
to justify taking the time to try it. I participated 9 or 10 years and I'm
glad I did.

> IMHO, Ed and Terry most accurately describe the real world of the
> school science fairs. Just my $0.0175.
>
> Ralph Zekelman

KEN