TRP, Science, re Zone ing the post-modern heavens, credentials

[Joseph Tracy]

I guess I wish I could help diffuse the intensity of this science debate, though I'm pretty sure I threw some fuel on the fire.  I probably can't so I will try to say that regardless of the intensity some very clear and powerful arguments are emerging that help this reader, thinker, blabber consider the topic with more information,  depth and balance.  What Monte is saying about Pynchon's deep fascination with physics, chemistry, science seems quite in sync with my reading. And knowledge of science, along with historical information can only add to the clarity and realism with which one reads him or thinks about these things.   
  As far as Alice's threading of the topic, I am enjoying his posts more than I think I ever had. There is a good deal of insight there. 

I think part of the animosity that comes out is P-list history and some is that the topic itself  is fraught with enormous historical and philosophical tension. Things have gotten so weird that there isn't much normal to fall back on. It's hard to  retain equanimity with so much at stake. In the context of that weirdness I find  that  Pynchon's framing of the issues seems increasingly less literary/imaginative  and more like multilayered description. The DcM essay reinforces that perception in tracing some history of nuclear policy debates.

 Zoning- a red herring lame joke imaginary topic
Science credentials - essentially non existent- 2 University physics classes 3 university botany classes an above average amount of extra curricular science reading ,  hands on experience with glass and glaze chemistry, hands on experience gardening  and studying local botany wherever I live.  

most impressive mathematical achievement - when I moved to Arcata in my 30s to resume my higher, but not very much higher education I found out the day before an orientation walk that i also had to take an algebra test to avoid taking an algebra-for-dummies class. I had not done algebra since high school and had no access to a library but we had some Britannicas, so I read the Brittannica article on algebra which reminded me how it was done and I did fine on the test.  Not impressed? didn't think so.