I have heard claimed that all bits of humor have a grain of truth to them. As is claimed about stereotypes. But humor strikes me as akin to gazing in a funhouse mirror. Sure, there must be something there you recognize. But just as the large nose can be distorted to hilarious proportions, so can the small. So what is the truth about the nose?
As for the following cartoons, I find in them the theme, "It's the dogma, stupid." To me that is often the issue at stake when atheists and theists clash: Backwards dogma and a dogmatic clinging to preconceived notions. And yes, it is possible to be dogmatic without being religious.
Here's the cartoon that got me thinking about it (and a couple others that fit the theme in some way):
[cartoon thanks to atheistcartoons.com]
[cartoon thanks to jesusandmo.net]
[click to enlarge, cartoon thanks to xkcd.com]
Could Dadaism be used as an antidote for dogmatism?
"Why are my bones so small?" Ha! I think that's going to be the new Zen koan I work on.
It seems to me that science and salesmanship belong on opposite ends of a spectrum (the precise use of language spectrum?) To be an effective salesman (woman) you grandstand, you exaggerate, you paint with a broad brush, you aim to incite passion. The scientist actively behaving like a scientist, on the other extreme, sticks to the facts and appeals to the intellect. You can't trust passion.
That is why I find it a little perplexing when arguments are made for scientists to be better communicators of science -- some even scold them for not preaching their word better (religion and sales seem more naturally compatible, in my book).
But wait! No responsibility is given to the dumb audience that demands emotional pyrotechnics to spice up all intellectual insights they attempt to consume. And so, we are told, "Dumb down the science."
Bullocks. Sure, cultural change is more difficult and slow. And yes, there may be a middle ground. But still. Let's not ask scientists to be salesmen and saleswomen.
With that said, here is a cartoon by treelobsters.com that got me thinking about the topic. It is so spot-on it deserves to be singled out. Well done!
Complicated.
[cartoon thanks to xkcd.com]
Believing in someone?
[cartoon thanks to jesusandmo.net]
Knowing how and when to make amends?
[cartoon thanks to treelobsters.com]
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