Comments on: If it’s new.. fear it?

By: Finrod

Finrod — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:25:56 +0000

“I’ll see if I can find some more quotes, but in the mean time here are a few from years past.”

“Man might as well project a voyage to the Moon, as attempt to employ steam navigation across the stormy North Atlantic ocean.”
-Dr. Dionysius Lardner to the British Association, 1838.

By: Castle Bravo

Castle Bravo — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:21:56 +0000

Most of those who are scared of something have no vested interest i think but fear is strong and fear of change or something new is easy to create. The owner of the gas lamp company may be the one who starts the fear but everyone else will follow just because once the idea that it’s threatening is out they rally behind it. Yeah they could learn a thing or two and come to understand it but that’d be more complicated and difficult. it’s beyond some.

By: Loopy

Loopy — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:42:38 +0000

Interesting to me that the first one, from Van Buren starts off by stating it is a threat to the “canal system.” My only thought is so what? So what if the railroads threaten the canal system? If they are better and can replace it then we no longer need the canal system. If railroads are faster, less expensive, easier to construct and so on, then the canal system is no longer an issue.

That is like saying that “electricity threatens the gas light” or “automobiles threaten the stage coach”

If electricity is better then it is a replacement for the gas light or at least it is for most situations with the possible exception of lanterns or some special purpose like that. In this case, we should not be concerned about the demise of gas lighting. Unless someone held a vested interest in the canals or gas lights or something, of course. I still don’t see why they would use that to justify it: “If you adopt electricity it will hurt my business, Smith Gas Lights Inc” I do think though that the owner of Smith Gas Lights might not be the only one though because he could recruit other scared people “OH MY GOD what will we do without gas lights and canals????”

Maybe JeebusFishes is right. It just blows their mind that the would could change so much and the idea of something new they have no experience with replacing something old and established is scary.

By: Finrod

Finrod — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:22:30 +0000

H.G. Wells’ screenplay for the 1936 movie ‘The Shape of Things to Come’ contains the following comment near the conclusion, where the anti-technology activist Theotocopoulos has been stirring up opposition to the first expidition to the Moon (supposedly sometime in the late 21st century).

Theotocopoulos: “How can we do that when your science and inventions are perpetually changing life for us- when you are everlastingly rebuilding and contriving strange things about us? When you make what we think great, seem small. When you make what we think strong, seem feeble. We don’t want you in the same world with us. We don’t want this expedition. We don’t want mankind to go out to the moon and the planets. We shall hate you more if you succeed than if you fail.”

While he can be justly criticised for many things, it is true that Wells saw far.

By: JeebusFishes

JeebusFishes — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:25:23 +0000

Progress of a new idea:

- It won’t work.

- It’s against Nature

-It’s too dangerous

-It’s not practical

When something new and revolutionary comes I think it’s fine and healthy to ask the question “Is this safe?” or “is this practical?” That is healthy skepticism. It is quite another to insist it is not practical or not safe even after the evidence has indicated otherwise.

To me, that is just as bad as putting far too much faith in an unproven technology – to put no trust in a proven one!

By: Chem Geek Gregor

Chem Geek Gregor — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:22:31 +0000

Anything that changes the basics of how we live or how society works will scare someone, especially if it is something technological or just beyond the understanding of someone. Electricity is the classic example. The idea of this force flowing through wires and which can be turned on and off and provide instant light simply blew the minds of those who could not understand it.

The small minded get very scared of change.

By: Q

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:18:59 +0000

Some seem to just appose anything new based on fear. Fear is a strong emotion and it can really rally people. I saw something a while ago where there was some opposition to electric street lighting in the first cities it was deployed because it was said that it was “unnatural to have so much light at night” and that people would have “more leisure time” and that there was no way of knowing what people would do with so much leisure time and it would likely be something immoral!

I guess it would be the precautionary approach because there was no *proof* that electric lighting would not lead to immorality.

By: DV82XL

DV82XL — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:02:58 +0000

Progress of a new idea:

- It won’t work.

- It’s against Nature

-It’s too dangerous

-It’s not practical

- It’s something everybody knew all along