Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id AAA02679 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 9 Apr 2002 00:36:18 +0100 X-Originating-IP: [209.240.222.132] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: memetics-digest V1 #1011 Date: Mon, 08 Apr 2002 19:30:07 -0400 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F246CV4WR457yQU5y500000626c@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 08 Apr 2002 23:30:08.0033 (UTC) FILETIME=[51C78910:01C1DF55] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Subject: Re: memetics-digest V1 #1011
>Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 18:54:36 -0400
>
>
>On Monday, April 8, 2002, at 06:21 , Scott Chase wrote:
>
>>Prior learning could even *enhance* one's ability to make critical
>>observations.
>
>Even Sherlock had to see before he could deduce. At what end of this is
>the enhancement?
>
Was he a trained observer? Did he have any general idea of what to look for
when investigating?
>
>>There could be "unconscious" material floating around in your noggin
>
>Entering, as sensation, and 'floating around', are two very unique
>processes.
>
Yet said material may be a result of being filtered when processed at the
various levels such as sensation and conceptualization. BTW when does
something become an observation?
>
>>that may influence observation
>
>"Many things stand in the way of knowledge" - if whatever is floating
>around is _influencing_ observation, then observation is being thwarted.
>What one thinks about what one sees is, well, not observation. It's
>analysis. It's measurement. And, as good ole Pythagoras says, get out of
>the way, please.
>
>
OK lets start from scratch (forgetting the primordial rudiments of how
theories have been genetically incorporated into sense organs previous to
your being born). Returning to the quote I earlier posted from Popper's
_Objective Knowledge_ (p. 259):
(bq) "My experiment consists of asking you to *observe*, here and now. I
hope you are all co-operating, and observing! However, I fear that at least
some of you, instead of observing, will feel a strong urge to ask: 'WHAT do
you want me to observe?'" (eq)
So Wade, "WHAT?" is the crucial question to which you might want to give
some thought.
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