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<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=danldo@gmail.com
href="mailto:danldo@gmail.com">Dan'l Danehy-Oakes</A> </DIV>
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Gerry Quinn wrote:<BR><BR>> >> More to the point, it was intended to
give the impression that such a<BR>> >> physical process was being
discussed. However, no serious physical<BR>> >> mechanism was ever
proposed (beyond unspecified "brain mutations" with<BR>> >> no
mechanism attached to _them_).<BR><BR>> > It’s the difference between a
hyperdrive and a magic carriage. No real<BR>> > science is involved
in the discussion of the hyperdrive, but the reader is<BR>> > to
understand that it is a technology made possible by advanced<BR>> >
understanding of physics.<BR><BR>> Correct, so far as it goes. But there is
an implied technology behind<BR>> "hyperdrive." In the case of psi, something
just -- magically? --<BR>> happens to give these people powers and abilities
far beyond those of<BR>> mortals. Calling it a brain mutation is just
handwaving; and while<BR>> "hyperdrive" is handwaving also, it is handwaving
that suggests<BR>> something, years of technological and theoretical advances
which are<BR>> _not_ implied in "psi."</DIV></DIV>
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style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">It’s
usually glossed more as an innate ability rather than a ‘mechanical’
technology. But it’s implied that it is scientifically
understood.</DIV></DIV>
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style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">To
you, maybe, the handwaving does not suggest anything. But I think to most
readers it does. For most readers, hyperdrives and psi will be accepted as
being on somewhat similar footing.</DIV></DIV>
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Gerry Quinn</DIV></DIV>
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