Flandry: "God damn it, why does your parliament have to meet in person? You've got holocom systems. Your politicians could send and receive images...and we could've rigged untraceable methods to call them and give them the facts last night.'"
-Poul Anderson, A Knight Of Ghosts And Shadows IN Anderson, Sir Dominic Flandry: The Last Knight Of Terra (Riverdale, NY, 2012), pp. 339-606 AT Chapter XVII, p. 550.
(Flandry and Kossara risk assassination by attending the Parliament.)
Kossara: "'Hush, darling...You know why. Electronics will do for ornamental relics. The Shkoptsina is alive, it debates and decides real things, the members need intimacies, subtlties, surprises.'" (pp. 550-551)
Recently, an American scientist spoke on climate change in a building at SOAS (see image). He was asked why he had flown to London instead of Skyping. He replied that, if a conference wants him merely to address an audience, then he Skypes but, if there is the possibility of networking and bridge-building, then he flies because it is a long way to walk.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Problem is, on THIS occasion both Flandry and Kossara were right. The former about the danger and the latter about the need for a legislative assembly to actually MEET.
And I share Jerry Pournelle's skepticism about the more extreme claims relating to "climate change." That is, his massive and detailed arguments convinced me.
Sean
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