From: utzoo!utcsrgv!donald
Newsgroups: net.space
Title: Re: FTL etc.
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.507
Posted: Sun Aug  8 13:39:38 1982
Received: Sun Aug  8 21:14:45 1982
References: alice.842


There is a big difference between informed discussion and wild speculation.
The recent slew of articles on FTL fall into the latter category:  the
people out to "get" relativity and quantum mechanics have very little
knowledge of how they work.  They merely seem to take notions gleaned from
SF and popular science magazines to try a find a loophole in physics so
that their pet peeve (FTL travel) is "possible".  No attempt is made to
formalize their arguments mathematically or replace the physical theories
that they demolish.  THAT is the diffence between Galileo and Erich
Von Daniken, or between Einstein and Velikovsky.  The scientific crank's
favorite defence is a comparison between himself and Copernicus and a plea
for "free inquiry" or "open minds".

Sorry for the flames, but I don't wish to see net.space go the way of
net.misc (you people with the persistence to stick with net.misc should
know what I mean!)

					Don Chan