Friday 8 November 2013

The broken step

Imagine, as many do, that aliens arrived here and we instantly realised it was possible to travel light years, and quite possibly beyond the speed of light and through time and dimensions. Instead of working it out ourselves over hundreds or thousands of years the work would have been done for us, and as a result could suddenly jump ahead with all the benefits, as even if these aliens didn't want or intend us to know they were there or share the information if they did, we would know by default it was possible.

This can apply to travelling to remote isolated societies, and while they initially see planes and TVs as god and magic they tend very quickly to realise what they are and decide whether or not to adopt them into their society even though they had never got close themselves and may not have done for generations, but perfectly acceptable to adopt work done by others for their own benefit regardless of whether they earned the right by creating it themselves.

So what about information? Given sufficient evidence, especially accounts which can't really be disputed, you would assume if a few people at the top of the pyramid, those who do their own research and make their own conclusions independent of the establishment and dominant views of the profession they are not even members of, discover something new then sharing it with those below would be of the same effect. If the people assumed low interest rates must mean everything cost less and with primary school maths they'd get it in moments, forget it. Technology can speak for itself, but the broken step has been discovered. Finding information does not mean you can pass it on.

The reasons for the barrier are various and covered elsewhere- lack of authority, lack of trust, and a built in certainty they know better than anyone apparently on their own level. So when you discover anything which means the establishment view is wrong, or someone there is cheating, even with open confessions and caught in the act examples (like Climategate) they are like smoke in the wind. Not only do they not register, they and you are vigorously rejected, as if you are the heretic and have just attacked their god.

Until we find ways to convey the information which is often so blatant you could trip over it in the dark the information revolution may lie only with the already converted, but the only key we currently have is repetition of key issues until they may sink in and provoke enquiry. If someone can work things out themselves, or think they have, then they own the information and come to the right side. Till then they are victims.

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