while i am on the topic of "science", a curious vignette for your enjoyment
yesterday i read a physics textbook about a curious effect, that could be used to define the boundary living vs not-living among many many way more practical applications. the author worked with a whole constellation of nobel laureates and she is one very very very smart lady indeed, feynman level smart (or in rpg terms level 77 intelligence
).
i have been researching this for a very long time, but the book still blew my mind... practical applications of said effect, currently developed in russia (or was it in ukraine), whould allow for storing and replaying mental states (also dreams, altered states, etc) much in the way music records is handled today. i would sign up for it yesterday if i could, unfortunately it's a very closed field, as the stakes are very high. actually, it's a historical fact that such applications emerged from the intelligence/counter-intelligence business (huge money involved), where cloak and dagger is the mo. obviously the tech has huge potential for military use, and assorted abuse, so what one day might emerge as a consumer product, might be very far off from the real deal. still, better than nothing, if you ask me. so perhaps soon all psychonauts will have a new toy to play with, in fact a working prototype was promised for the 1st quarter of 2017. hang in there.
but anyway...
why i am mentioning this? the "science proper" angle.
the historic context of the scientific r&d around said effect is no less fascinating than the effect itself. the funny thing is that according to western "scientists" (mainly in us) the effect does not take place. period.
just imagine how funny the situation is. in russia/ukraine millions and millions of people undergo treatment based on this effect. the departments of health in the russian sphere of influence approved the technology officially long time ago, with certificates, trials and whatnot, and russian standards (from ussr times) are way stricter than elsewhere in those matters. countless scientific publications. multiple open and restricted (as in 20 yrs "don't show your face on record" ndas restricted) labs. hundreads of companies selling medical devices (not cheap at all) and making piles of money.
and in the west all that is scientifically impossible. quite officially. impossible to replicate, therefore also ontologically impossible.
the book i mentioned actually even explains at length and in details why such a completely ridiculous situation developed and that part of the book is a veritable tour de force. bottom line, "scientists" contaminated their "research" with way too many preconceived misconceptions, a clear case for the ages of "scientific" arrogance gone wild, methinks.
so much for science. "science" and reality diverge so easily, oftentimes ontological claims of objectivity don't fit reality even for simple practical purposes. a broader, less stiff view on things might help.