Living vicariously...just musing, not political

[amicus]

Watching a science channel thingy, Megaworld, when this foolish young vulcanologist leaned over an active flow, chipped away the outer layer and exposed the live magma flowing slowly down hill and hardening. I felt something.

I understand, I think, the various thrills folks get from watching films and television dramas, but I realized that I have been on Mars with the Rovers, on the Moon with Armstrong, I broke the sound barrier with Yeager, witnessed the success of the Manhattan Project in the western desert and felt the heat of underwater volcano's and marveled at the tube worms.

As I said, just musing. but the small epiphany that science can turn me on just as much as Japanese Anime can, was a bit curious. But I think the 'turn on' was more cerebral than visceral, ahem. But then...it is all 'cerebral', ain't it?





Amicus....

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

AMICUS

I always used vicarious experiences as spring-boards to real adventures.

 

[amicus]

Thanks JB...guess a few posts have been directed at attempting to formulate an understanding of the progress made in communications since computer technology came into its own.

The availability of knowledge, the cutting edge of new science and live experiences, either for good or bad, be it front line combat in the Middle East, a trip to the bottom of the ocean or a robot digging in the Martian soil, the accumulative effect of the wide variety of totally new experiences is astounding to me.

There is also a condensation of historical events, created by some of the best of the best on all fronts, presented as faite acompli, in such a way as to replace entire university course in an 'overview' manner, unlike most anything I have previously witnessed.

Just kind of agog at the massive amount of information, hard information and opinions, so easily available...


ami

 

[SeaCat]

Amicus,

Like you I am often enthralled by what is shown on some of these programs. The amount of information one can gather, and the scope of it, in just one evening of watching the "Boob Tube" is incredible.

Another good source of videos like this, if you have broadband, is the Nova programs through P.B.S. You can watch them online free of charge.

Cat

 

[JackLuis]

Oops double post

 

[JackLuis]

Think back to 1990. The Web was up but you had a 56K connection at best. There were no browsers and search was a dream of the future.

Now we can search with many different search engins and cover the world to get news and programs and info from all over. Amazing!

There is so much info out there that you can't even search it all.

I particularly like being able to read the news from the BBC, the Manila TImes and even Pravda to get a more rounded view of the current events.

Long live the Internet!

 

[freshface]

The nature and history programs on TV have always enthralled me. HDTV brings it into a whole new dimension. To see each individual scale on a fish is absolutely unbelievable, especially since where I grew up, a good snowstorm in the mountains knocked out our TV reception. And the internet is just always there now. I make free phone calls to the US, watch television, research anything on a moment's notice, and read the Washington Post, all from my computer. None of this would have seemed real ten years ago. It makes me wonder what life will be like ten years from now. What a change from the typewriter and stacks of books in college.

 

[amicus]

Hi, Seacat...good to see you again. Yes, depending on the subject matter, I keep up with NOVA programming also, but many of the programs are politically motivated and I find that unacceptable.

There is also the NASA channel, which continually disappoints me as there is so much potential there but most of the programming is dull and repetitious.

There is another aspect of those Channels like the Science and History Channels that have 'dumbed down' their content to cartoon features apparently aimed a pre teens, apparently in a effort to garner more viewers.

All that aside, still, there is much more available than ever before and much of it of very high quality minus the political agenda many express.

For example, global warming, which I consider a political farce and the 'doom and gloom' of 'end of days', programming attempting to frighten the general public into thinking disaster is at hand on all fronts.

I am hoping the viewing audience tires of this quickly and produces a dirth of viewers which might cause these channels to reconsider the political nature of their broadcasts.

amicus...

 

[amicus]

JackLuis, FreshFace...yes...I could not agree more...but my interest is the impact this rapid and vast change has brought or will bring about. I oft-times as too optimistic, as in the real world, I doubt very many, outside we nerdy types, pay any attention to the real information but enjoy the more trashy things that seem to appeal to the masses.

Working on a futuristic novel, 'brick and mortar' schools are a thing of the past and all education from pre school through grad school is over the internet.

On the other hand, the total confusion, politically speaking, concerning basic energy production, I see the possibility of limited, rationed or no electricity in the future...and what would that do to the lifestyle we now enjoy?

But that is a controversial subject to many and I have already staked out my ground....so we shan't go there.

Thank you for your commentary...

amicus...

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

AMICUS

I use the internet for story research, especially true life stories from the 19th Century. I use the stories in my horror fiction. Some of it is beyond bizarre, yet real. Vicarious isnt the word for the experience.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Ami, I totally get what you're feeling. I have a similar reaction when I watch those programs about ancient Egyptian tombs or when the guy on PBS with the bad teeth starts talking about the history of Agnosticism....

 

[gauchecritic]

AMICUS

I use the internet for story research, especially true life stories from the 19th Century. I use the stories in my horror fiction. Some of it is beyond bizarre, yet real. Vicarious isnt the word for the experience.

Did they have internet access in the 19th century?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

GAUCHE

I speck they did...in towns.

 

[gauchecritic]

GAUCHE

I speck they did...in towns.

In factories and middle-class homes where they had the gas lights.