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From: pja1@rsvl.unisys.com
Subject: Re: Why scientists popularize premature speculations?
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In article <JMC.94Nov30170339@white.wisdom.weizmann.ac.il> jmc@white.wisdom.weizmann.ac.il (McCarthy John) writes:
>Subject: Re: Why scientists popularize premature speculations?
>From: jmc@white.wisdom.weizmann.ac.il (McCarthy John)
>Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 15:03:39 GMT

>Making premature announcements has some publicity role, but it doesn't
>get the announcer out of the need for peer review.

>Sometimes it is simply a question of responding to journalistic
>interest.

>A case in which the scientists should have some qualms is in giving
>popular science books written by scientists exotic titles.  This greatly
>increases their sales and gives a lot of people the illusion that
>they understand something they don't.

>Examples: The Emperor's New Mind, Shadows of the Mind and The Astonishing
>Hypothesis.

>The titles are rather independent of the content.

Another example: Mind Children: The Future of Robot and Human Intelligence. 

:-)

BTW--What do you find objectionable about Crick's book?



