Comments on: Authors @ Google presents Michael Shermer http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/authors-at-google/ books, essays, columns, reviews, and multimedia clips of famed skeptic Michael Shermer Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:23:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Why We Fear The Market Economy… « The Human Rights Revolution Platform http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/authors-at-google/comment-page-1/#comment-2789 Why We Fear The Market Economy… « The Human Rights Revolution Platform Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:27:48 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/authors-at-google/#comment-2789 [...] Authors@Google: Michael Shermer Categories [...] [...] Authors@Google: Michael Shermer Categories [...]

]]> By: jeff platt http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/authors-at-google/comment-page-1/#comment-904 jeff platt Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:59:14 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/authors-at-google/#comment-904 saw you on c-span last night for the first time. i forgot what is was like to think! saw you on c-span last night for the first time. i forgot what is was like to think!

]]> By: Randall Pratt http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/authors-at-google/comment-page-1/#comment-889 Randall Pratt Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:32:58 +0000 http://www.michaelshermer.com/2008/01/authors-at-google/#comment-889 Dear Mr. Shermer, I caught a bit of your recent appearance on TV and as I am a regular subscriber to Scientific American. I read your article. As an almost 86-year old survivor I have the following to say: (1) I have been “cheating” you and the rest of the public for a very long time by not following “nature’s” rules and hence causing you and the public to ante up for my continued care through my private insurance, Medicare and Social Security, probably since 1982 when I accepted gall bladder surgery, definitely since 1985 when I accepted surgery for colon cancer, since 2001 when I started taking blood pressure lowering drugs, and most recently since taking l-dopa to prevent unconscious leg movement that interferes with my sleep Everything I have done to “cheat” nature has had unpleasant side reactions. . (2) The only real difference between my case and that of your athlete “cheaters” is that of perception. What I have done is “OK”; what they do is not, at least to some. You just weren’t lucky enough, competitive enough, and smart enough to use r-EPO, and it obviously still rankles. (3) The draconian set of rules you suggest to solve the prisoner’s dilemma is a surprise to me since you, I believe, favor “free” trade, and a hand’s off approach to goverment, I don’t think the public really gives a damn. They and I enjoy the sometimes incredible performance these “doped up” performers give. I still remember Jose Canseco’s “massive upper body muscles.” Hell, I am doped up and so will you be when you reach my age unless you become a Christian Scientist, in which case you probably won’t reach my age. (4) What we need to realize and promote is that there is nothing wrong with cheating nature, and to think that is wrong and muddle-headed . If a particular athlete is incredibly outsripping others, I believe he has just been smart enough to find a very knowledgeable physician. If we could just get rid of this Puritanical obsession, we would be far better off. But thanks anyway for your honesty in describing how a “loser” feels. Randall Pratt Bellingham, WA Dear Mr. Shermer,

I caught a bit of your recent appearance on TV and as I am a regular subscriber to Scientific American. I read your article. As an almost 86-year old survivor I have the following to say:

(1) I have been “cheating” you and the rest of the public for a very long time by not following “nature’s” rules and hence causing you and the public to ante up for my continued care through my private insurance, Medicare and Social Security, probably since 1982 when I accepted gall bladder surgery, definitely since 1985 when I accepted surgery for colon cancer, since 2001 when I started taking blood pressure lowering drugs, and most recently since taking l-dopa to prevent unconscious leg movement that interferes with my sleep Everything I have done to “cheat” nature has had unpleasant side reactions. .

(2) The only real difference between my case and that of your athlete “cheaters” is that of perception. What I have done is “OK”; what they do is not, at least to some. You just weren’t lucky enough, competitive enough, and smart enough to use r-EPO, and it obviously still rankles.

(3) The draconian set of rules you suggest to solve the prisoner’s dilemma is a surprise to me since you, I believe, favor “free” trade, and a hand’s off approach to goverment, I don’t think the public really gives a damn. They and I enjoy the sometimes incredible performance these “doped up” performers give. I still remember Jose Canseco’s “massive upper body muscles.” Hell, I am doped up and so will you be when you reach my age unless you become a Christian Scientist, in which case you probably won’t reach my age.

(4) What we need to realize and promote is that there is nothing wrong with cheating nature, and to think that is wrong and muddle-headed . If a particular athlete is incredibly outsripping others, I believe he has just been smart enough to find a very knowledgeable physician. If we could just get rid of this Puritanical obsession, we would be far better off.

But thanks anyway for your honesty in describing how a “loser” feels.

Randall Pratt

Bellingham, WA

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