News from Orlando


So I saw Dennett arriving and then I went on into the bar area and plugged in my notebook and posted that I’d just seen Dennett. That took fifteen minutes or so – it’s not my notebook after all, it’s the horrible connection, everyone says it’s horrible. Well that plus reading up on the latest exploits of the Harvard Humanists took about 15 minutes. Then I packed up and was about to go wander around a little to see if PZ had arrived when PZ turned up in front of me, having just arrived. We went over to the bar and joined Tom Flynn and Dennett and Liz Cornwell and Debbie Goddard to schmooze.

Lots of good talks yesterday. Ellenbeth Wachs on nightmare stuff in Polk County and the way they tried to shut her up. Dave Silverman on the importance of not losing law suits. Rita Swan on getting rid of religious exemptions to laws mandating medical care for children. Lionel Tiger on women ruining everything. Stephen Law on the evil god. Harry Kroto on lots of things – education, science, Murdoch – he’s terrific.

More later.

Comments

  1. 'Tis Himself, OM says

    So you just tease us with vague descriptions of what’s going on. Your excuses of “it’s not my notebook after all, it’s the horrible connection” are no reason why you shouldn’t be giving us blow by blow narration of what’s happening.

  2. says

    There, now don’t feel so bad about missing the big DC shindig. You’re hanging with cool people in a warm place (helluva lot warmer than where I am to day).

  3. Sili says

    What more do you need, ‘Tis?

    Kroto is terrific. (As long as you ignore the fullerenic meditation woo.)

  4. Phledge says

    I cannot wait to hear how we’ve ruined everything. It’s like getting gold stars on homework.

  5. says

    Ok, I’ll expand on Tiger’s talk when I can (when I’m not on the hotel’s one public computer, which has a good connection but allows you only 15 minutes – grr). It was pretty funny, in a horrible way. Mind you, some people were very upset.

  6. says

    I think a lot of people misinterpreted Tiger’s talk probably because it was so disjointed and hard to follow. I didn’t feel offended by it as some did especially women. I think he was just citing some studies. I would like to know how the researchers measured feminity and masculinity. Men becoming more calm and caring would be a positive if it means getting away from some of the macho and “good old boy” behavior. I would like to know more about some of the studies he cited. I do agree that medication is over used in kids and from what I have heard more so in boys. Some kids are really ADHD and can’t function well without medication but I think sometimes it is given because parents don’t want to cope with normal childhood behavior and take the time to give their children outlets for that extra energy.

  7. says

    Reba – true – that’s probably another reason I didn’t get as outraged as some did (although it was touch and go at times!); there was a core of sense to some of what he said, especially about Ritalin.

    I think the disjointedness was fatal though. Not least, it made it impossible to figure out what he was saying!

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