jwmII wrote:
...and you took the bait.
I don't think the guy in the video is stupid. Quite the contrary. I think he is like most campers, uninformed about common dangers and electrical principles.
It's nobody's fault, really. It simply illustrates a problem in society and that is a lack of common sense. Our civilization does not place a high value on science and engineering. I think that's a shame.
The fact that people don't understand basic science scares me. It genuinely scares me. That doesn't make me a bad person, or judgemental, or condescending. It concerns me because well meaning people in the campsite next to me could, unintentionally, set the park on fire. It concerns me because great folks driving on the highway don't understand the risks they take and the physics that could ultimately injure them and affect others on the highway.
I think science is important for the general voting population to understand. There are many questions related to GMO, vaccines, climate change, food and air safety, resource allocation and protections, water preservation, etc. that we, as a society, have an interest in. We elect politicians to represent us and most don't seem to have any basic understanding of science. How can we expect them to make good decisions if they don't understand the basic scientific process related to the issues that confront us?
I'm concerned about people like the guy in the video, not because I'm judging him or think I'm perfect, but because people like him could unintentionally endanger us.
