[Buddha-l] it's not about belief

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Sat, 2006-01-07 at 14:52 -0500, curt wrote:

> I'm surprised that no one has brought up metallurgy yet 

Perhaps it is because we were talking about science, not technology.
Metallurgy in ancient times was technology, but hardly anything like
science as we now use the term. 

One of my own personal heroines is Ursula Franklin, whom I first knew
through her pacifistic work. (She's a Quaker, and at one time so was I.)
She wrote extensively of metallurgy in China, also in subarctic America
and South America. For reasons known best to herself she wrote of
ancient metallurgy as part of the history of technology, not as part of
the history of science. Having got her PhD in physics, I reckon she may
have had some idea of the distinction between science and technology. In
fact, I know she did, since I heard her magnificent Massey lectures on
CBC radio, which were eventually published as a very readable book
entitled The Real World of Technology. I recommend it.

Thank you for mentioning the ancient technological art of metallurgy, Dr
Steinmetz. It indirectly brought to mind fond memories of an old friend.

-- 
Richard