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I said this to Don in an off-list note, and thought it might be of some value to say it publicly as well. I don't agree with all of what Don says*, but I have to applaud the clarity of his writing. I read his post all the way through, and it is clear and thought-provoking (in fact I will read it again to make sure I understand his points so I can examine my own positions). Unfortunately most of the time I read the first sentence or two of posts on phd-design, then I got mystified and/or bogged down, then give up. Don takes a clear position, gives evidence, and doesn't employ a lot of rarefied abstractions. It is much more inviting to enter into discourse (or even, as Don seems to invite, argument and disagreement) if the positions and writing are clear and direct. I hope this is not offensive; it's just a statement from the trenches. I'd like to be able to get the benefit of the insights on this list, but so often I can't tell what they are. Al * I'm one of those people from the humanities, but I have one foot pretty well planted, if not in the 'science-world,' at least in the professional/engineering/technical world. ============ Re: Affordance and the meaning of coke bottles Oops, terry just asked me a direct question. Sigh This whole debate going on in this forum, which I read with regret, is a perfect example of the two cultures bridge. I have not entered into it because my world view -- which is that of science -- is so different, so much at odds, with the framework of the discussion. But now I have been asked a direct question. <snip>