[eric_b]

While watching this video where Bussard gave his talk about his efforts as attaining fusion ::
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 6673788606
I must admit I felt a bit of sadness.

Sadness as Bussard is clearly a dying breed. People like him are no longer being cultivated, at least in the US. His understanding of many scientific fundamentals is no longer common in the US. There were a couple of decades after WWII when America was the leader in these sorts of things - though clearly this is no longer true. If you haven't seen the video you might want to take a look. Despite being in his 70's Bussard is probably sharper then most current physics grads in the US.

I really became aware of how America has become increasingly 'dumbed down' these past few decades. It's partially a cultural shift, no doubt. It seems to me parts of the culture have become increasingly infantile. There's been a strong anti-intellectual trend in the US.

But in my more pessimistic moments I have to wonder if it's not more than a cultural change. Perhaps environmental toxins have blunted countless intellects? For example, both lead and mercury, measured in the bones of people during the 20th centuries, are many to 100's of times higher than they were in centuries past. Both of these heavy metals are known to retard mental development, especially in the young and developing. And these are but a few of the countless toxins we are all bathed in that simply were not around more than a 100 years ago.

I've even heard the argument that exploding human population contributes, as apparently the 'average' intelligence of people goes down when there are more of them.

A sad observation.

[mercurygirl]

Good topic and yes, a sad one too. Here's a couple of links to explore for starters and then you'll be furious as well.


http://www.mercola.com/dvd/sweet-remedy

http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/index.htm

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eric_b', 'W')hile watching this video where Bussard gave his talk about his efforts as attaining fusion ::
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 6673788606

[eric_b]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mercurygirl', 'G')ood topic and yes, a sad one too. Here's a couple of links to explore for starters and then you'll be furious as well.


http://www.mercola.com/dvd/sweet-remedy

http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/index.htm

[eric_b]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'I') do agree that we are dumbing down in alot of ways. But I think it is a fall from a short lived peak. Or maybe what we are seeing is the erosion of common sense as each generation decides it needs to learn less and less from the one that came before.

Anyways, I would not think that the science savvy of a nuclear physicist would be the benchmark sign that all other American's are getting dumber.

And as I mentioned in the thread marked Bussard, he may be having to work a room full of It guys for money because nobody inside the particle collidor will buy into his ideas.

[Carlhole]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eric_b', 'B')ussard may be a fraud, but I doubt it. If he is you've got to admit he's a good one.

[eric_b]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Carlhole', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eric_b', 'B')ussard may be a fraud, but I doubt it. If he is you've got to admit he's a good one.

[Aaron]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') really became aware of how America has become increasingly 'dumbed down' these past few decades.

[EnergyUnlimited]

I think, Dr Bussard should get this $200 millions, what he is claiming to be sufficient to build a working reactor.
It is after all only small fraction of ITER project and his scientific credence is good enough to justify that.
He is publishing his results anyway. Sooner or later there will be a nation which will make a test...
In respect of "Dumbing Down".
I had observed this trend in synthetic organic chemistry, which I was working with in my proffesional career.
I was observing that new and newer people caming in each year were more stupid that their collegues who came into company one year before...
There is no reason to believe (for me) that the trend is much different in physics or engineering.
This "dumbing down" is a fact.
Perhaps teaching system already got on the other side of a bell curve...
I believe, that our education systems are more and more keeping themself busy with passing politically correct garbage instead of solid knowledge.

[Grimnir]

There is also a heck of a lot more to know now than there used to be. It is no longer possible for an individual to know everything about his field, let alone all of physics or all of science.

[firestarter]

Dumbing down mass man is by DESIGN (read Gatto's Underground History, Goodman's Compulsory Miseducation, Winner's Autonomous Technology for starters). In a hive society one needs lots and lots of worker bees for the always needed heavy lifting. In a world that still requires a shitload of gruntwork to keep going round, everyone can't be wealthy finger pointers, you know. Scarce resources are strained to their limit with the billion or so privledged (about a one to five ratio achieved on the backs of the latter) populating the planet as it is. Mass stupidity (docility inducing) is the perfect elixir to keep the scheme going for the relative few who prosper under its reign. Universal intellectualizing of the masses would be certain suicide for the elites. Expect more on the same brain dead curriculum at a town near you

[Kingcoal]

Don't worry, America has always been dumb. The difference is the three R's which have become much less important in the past couple of decades. It used to be that you could be dumb and graduate high school, but you had to be able to do simple arithmetic, be able to compose a paragraph and be able to comprehend what you read.

These days, kids know how to use a PC, plagiarize from what they search on Google, but not really know how to write a coherent sentence.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Kingcoal', 'D')on't worry, America has always been dumb..

[NEOPO]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('firestarter', 'D')umbing down mass man is by DESIGN (read Gatto's Underground History, Goodman's Compulsory Miseducation, Winner's Autonomous Technology for starters). In a hive society one needs lots and lots of worker bees for the always needed heavy lifting. In a world that still requires a shitload of gruntwork to keep going round, everyone can't be wealthy finger pointers, you know. Scarce resources are strained to their limit with the billion or so privledged (about a one to five ratio achieved on the backs of the latter) populating the planet as it is. Mass stupidity (docility inducing) is the perfect elixir to keep the scheme going for the relative few who prosper under its reign. Universal intellectualizing of the masses would be certain suicide for the elites. Expect more on the same brain dead curriculum at a town near you

[TommyJefferson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', 'I') was reading an antediluvian southern commentator once who wrote that above the Mason-Dixon line the communities had a keen interest in education. It was in fact, he wrote, a mania, an obsession, and there were schoolhouses everywhere.

[Chuckmak]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TommyJefferson', '
')One doesn't need any education to attain that level of comfort. Thus, for the vast majority of citizens, it is foolish to waste time and energy on any education.

This situation did not exist in the past.

[smiley]

The evolution of the smart man



\/
\/




\/
\/



\/
\/



No wonder smart men are becoming scarce. What finally did them in was the print-your-own-t-shirt shops. That gave them the weapon to effectively remove themselves from the gene pool.

[mercurygirl]