The Edge


Living in a nation that barely understands the Earth is round and revolves around the sun, I may be placing myself in danger with this one.



The EDGE is a place I return to, time and again. I’ve turned a couple of online friends onto it. The Founder of the blog I contribute to -- outside of my own -- John C. Dvorak is a member of the Digerati listed there. John’s blog is Dvorak Uncensored. Most important, Edge is the easiest access point on the Web for leading edge science.

I wish they had a public forum. However you slice it, they’re busy enough debating issues and analysis among themselves. One of these days, though, I will get round to finding or founding a public forum for civilians like me to discuss the questions they examine. I know a half-dozen folks, just around town, whose interest and curiosity about scientific issues and where modern research might take us is as heartfelt as my own.

Of course, such a forum should avoid the time-wasting crap from creationist dolts -- the folks whose professional ignorance requires “debate” over precepts established for decades, if not centuries. There isn’t any shortage of electrons dedicated to spooky psychologizing. What I hope for is a site that accepts material reality, populated by folks who want to discuss how to build upon the scientific method. Leave the ghosties and gremlins for churches and unreality TV.

Here’s example of what you’ll bump into. They have a World Question Center. At least once a year, a new question is posed to the hundreds of members of the Reality Club. It has been, “What is the most important invention of the past 2,000 years...and why?” Or, “What is today’s most important unreported story?” This past year’s question was a pip: “What do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it?”

Absolutely delightful. As scientists, the respondents rarely wasted time with silliness like “some things are unknowable”. Scientists presume you know they’re discussing processes that haven’t been proved or disproved -- YET.

Posted: Sat - July 16, 2005 at 01:12 PM