Tram Town
Saturday, December 18, 2004
| Category: Littachuh I just finished reading Michael Crichton's magnificent State of Fear. I reckon this just might be considered, as time goes by, as the most important piece of pulp fiction ever written. Roll on the movie! This is a snippet that I went back and read several times: "... Right now, scientists are in exactly the same position as Renaissance painters, commissioned to make the portraits the patron wants done. And if they are smart, they'll make sure their work subtly flatters the patron. Not overtly. Subtly. This is not a good system for research into those areas of science that affect policy. Even worse, the system works against problem solving. Because if you solve a problem, your funding ends..."Note that, as opposed to that notorius The Day After Tomorrow, Michael Crichton does NOT capitalise prepositions in titles (though he would if they were the first or last word). |
