I had a wonderful experiment I used to do in Philosophy of Science class to
demonstrate the subjective nature of reality. I would send half the class
out of the room, and show a slide on the screen to the rest of the class.
The slide consisted of a series of parallel ruled lines associated with a
color. THe pattern was precise and consistently associated vertical lines
with red. The students had to fixate on the pattern for 15 minutes. After
the 15 minutes, the slide was turned off, the other half of the class was
invited to return, and a second slide, just like the first but with no
color, was shown. Those who had been in the class were asked to identify
the color associated with the vertical bars. Invariably they would insist
the background was red. They would argue adamantly with those who had been
outside, who were just as certain that the background was white (which, of
course it was, to them)! I quit doing the experiment when students would
come in a week or so later complaining that they were still seeing red
associated with vertical stripes. I don't like messing with peoples minds,
even to make an important point. The fact is physical reality had indeed
changed for the group in that classroom.
He further states> A religion which teaches ,
>2. salt is volcanic in nature, is in the same
>position as the purple-sky worshippers. There religion can only exist as
>long as no one goes and studies geology or astronomy.
I do not understand why Glenn has chosen to equate salt from volcanic origin
with the other points in his list, but it is well known that salt is
associated with volcanism. I know of at least two references to this
association, one of which was in Science about 15 years ago, explaining the
accmulation of salt in the eastern Mediterranean basin as having emanated
from the rift zone. The other author was a geochemist who suggested that
salt deposits were produced in association with volcanoes. He demonstrated
geochemically the evolution of the whole suite of "evaporites" associated
with salt could be encompassed in the chemistry of volcanoes. Neither of
these sources was predisposed to strange thinking, as far as I know. Since
I no longer have the original references, I cannot claim them, but I think a
search on salt and volcanoes should turn up some stuff. I am not sure why
this is such a big point to Glenn, but I have not been following the thread....
Art
http://chadwicka.swac.edu