Presumably Voltaire was in a lifeboat when he initially thought this?
I think the point being made to counter this is that not everyone is in the metaphorical lifeboat. It's a lot harder to join in the singing when you're still in the water.
And it's harder again if someone has their foot on your head.
Best wishes
Rick
Dr. Richard Holliman
Senior Lecturer in Science Communication
Science Faculty
The Open University
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For more information about my teaching, research and science outreach and public engagement interests, see http://www.open.ac.uk/personalpages/r.m.holliman
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________________________________________
From: Ian B Dunne [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 29 October 2010 15:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Spoof: Experiments for science TV series about Human Body
For me life without humour would not be worth living. The spoof answer brought a smile and a nod.
Somebody, I think Voltaire said "Life is a shipwreck, at least we can sing in the lifeboats."
All the best
Ian
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On 29/10/2010 14:30, David Waldock wrote:
My limited experience so far on this list suggests that option D is the most likely to be selected.
D
On 29 October 2010 14:21, David Price <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Totally agree with Jonathan - perhaps the point about all of this is what
kind of forum do you want this to be?
Assuming you believe that Peter's question was inappropriate there were
several things you could have done including...
a) Help Anyway
b) Write a helpful note explaining why the question was too open ended or
you thought it was inappropriate
c) Do nothing
d) Write a sarcastic response ridiculing someone and sending it to the whole
thread
Now if the list members want this to be a friendly forum where people feel
free to ask questions (you don't have to answer them!) and contribute then
you might want to think about a or b (or even c!). The trouble with option d
is that even though people may have found it amusing it is hardly going to
encourage Peter (or others) to contribute in the future is it?
Justified or not in intent, the response given was rude and insulting to
Peter and I'm also glad there were helpful replies.
David
-----Original Message-----
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science
[mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>] On Behalf Of Jonathan Sanderson
Sent: 28 October 2010 09:05
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Spoof: Experiments for science TV series about Human
Body
On 27 Oct 2010, at 19:30, Michael Kenward wrote:
> Anyone else who gets one of these annoying requests in future might like
to 'onpass them' to the Science Media Centre. That is why it is there.
OK, daft question from me, then: *is* that the role of the Science Media
Centre? I thought it was focussed on news media and journalists, rather than
assisting documentary or popular factual projects?
Certainly, the closest I ever got to using its services during my stint in
broadcast was crashing its Christmas party one year. Was I denying myself a
valuable resource?
[as for the cause of this thread; I've been that naive researcher, and I've
been the series producer banging his head on the table when my team fails to
do its homework and makes the production look foolish. I've also been the
guy called by the TV company looking for a demo, and subsequently screwed by
them. So I've sympathy on all sides.
I didn't think Peter's initial post was near as bad as some we've seen. I'll
confess to having been amused by Lazy Researcher's retort, but it's a bit
hard on Peter to be the focus of such scorn, and it doesn't foster the sort
of reputation I'd like the list to have. I'm glad there were some helpful
replies.
So no, I didn't write the satire. Kind of wish I had, though I suspect I
wouldn't have posted it.]
--
Jonathan Sanderson
"If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter" (Pascal)
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