From: gavand01@ulkyvx03.louisville.edu
Subject: Re: Virtuality and the Dominant Culture:  Review from AFTERIMAGE,
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1992 15:19:28 GMT
Organization: University of Louisville



In article <1992Jan8.191227.22851@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca>, pdavies@alchemy.
chem.utoronto.ca (Paul Davies) writes:

>In article <1992Jan8.011919.26834@milton.u.washington.edu> yamauchi@cs.
>rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) writes:
>
>>>[all stuff deleted]
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                                 | "The effects of technology do not occur
>Paul Davies / Synthetic Man      | at the level of opinions or concepts, but
>pdavies@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca | alter sense ratios or patterns of per-
>                                 | ception steadily and without resistance."
>                                 |  - Marshall McLuhan
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regarding McLuhan's statement, which I totally agree with:  when people such as
Druckery call for the need for a theory of signification, that is what they are
getting at.  It IS below the level of opinions or concepts, is what
Wittgenstein said is THAT WHICH CANNOT BE SAID.  But we are content to assume
that that level is non-systematizable, is non-cognitive, and is not worthy of
looking at.  What if that level displays patterns of activation that has its
own logic, not the logic patterned after verbal and mathematical thought?  What
if those patterns are more akin to those studied in "chaos theory"?  What if
there is a strong cultural bias against listening for and looking to those
domains?  What if that is what virtual reality is blindly groping toward?  What
if someone really gave a damn?