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 [F] New York Times on the Web Forums  / Science  /

    Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.


Earliest Messages Previous Messages Recent Messages Outline (3985 previous messages)

rshow55 - 06:52pm Aug 25, 2002 EST (# 3986 of 3994) Delete Message
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

Spent much of the day checking - especially things I've written in the last two days. Trying to be careful.

If you say "I think something is true, and widely useful." - - it makes sense to slog through a lot of examples, from a wide range of different fields, and check cases. Been doing that. Sor far, I'm pleased. More to do.

3963-3964 lchic 8/24/02 2:30pm set out the work of Deming - which is widely appreciated - but could be even more widely used.

3972 rshow55 8/24/02 6:46pm makes a point about defense policy that I think is worth repeating. A point worth checking.

Is it possible to do much better than we've done? Maybe. 3946 rshow55 8/23/02 6:59pm

I believe that lchic and I, working together, have come to focus on something new and hopeful.

Under a lot of circumstances - the odds of getting orderly answers, and discarding mistakes - is much better than people have understood. Enough better to give good reasons for disciplined hope.

If we face up to mistakes. Mistakes can easily happen. And mistakes are expensive. 3791 rshow55 8/18/02 7:27am

Suppose we ask, for a defined case, what truth is, what are our chances of finding it?

That depends on a lot that varies from case to case.

But chance plays a basic part. And we need a a sense of how statistically difficult some of the jobs we face (and ask for) sometimes are. And how hopeful some other tasks are.

3792-3 rshow55 8/18/02 7:56am

Back tomorrow.

bbbuck - 07:09pm Aug 25, 2002 EST (# 3987 of 3994)
'In a perfect world, we'd all live in Milwaukee...Though we still probably wouldn't go to their games'....

I'm holding my breath.
LouMazza checked out robert showalter's website, and it was very fascinating. I wonder if he's got a degree from the University of Wisconsin. Is he a teacher, what's his profession? Other than analyzing truths and doing good work posting on the md forum.
lchic I thought you were taking it to the beach? Get going, the mollusks are waiting for you.

lchic - 10:11pm Aug 25, 2002 EST (# 3988 of 3994)

Poster good to know you have concerns re Showalter - if you draft a note to the
CIA to ask if they've put that info in writing yet
.... too slow to catch a cold that mob .... let us know!

Showalter says 'Pick-up the phone and talk' - he's in the Madison phone book - better still a round robin-conference - with an umpire ... by that, he means he stands by all info posted on this thread.

    Methinks 'b3' alias a dozen monikers - that's 'The Poster' is just a tad jealous of Showalter's creative originality - quite understandable.
So when 'the poster - Bulldust' puts in his time sheet to Bush disinformation PR department - does he claim under his name or all his monikers ... if he were marked on content he'd be paying Bush.
    One mob just returned from the beach - State motto here is 'Perfect one day - beautiful the next!' For the first time this year it's rained and the motto's imperfect .. still great ... nb. seaSlugs - must be exported to US don't see them around! By the way b3 ... your aussie mates b1 b2, check them out, were asking after you!

bbbuck - 10:45pm Aug 25, 2002 EST (# 3989 of 3994)
'In a perfect world, we'd all live in Milwaukee...Though we still probably wouldn't go to their games'....

lchic you've lost your mind.

rshow55 - 10:20am Aug 26, 2002 EST (# 3990 of 3994) Delete Message
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

My head is full with a checking job - it is going well - and I'll respond later today.

Yes I DO stand by everything I've said on this thread. Everything I've said on the guardian threads, too. Of course I can make mistakes - but I check my work.

Some of what I've said is organized if you click "rshow55" above.

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