I enjoyed this book for its critique on the influence of the military industrial complex. Especially during the Cold War the discourse of science was corrupted by the political. Indeed Einstein’s genius could be seen as horribly destructive in light of the Manhattan Project. Of course this story is about the human experience more than anything else. Even in our “knowledge society,” those with the most knowledge are still controlled by those with the most power. Power still reigns supreme.
There is another interesting paradox in the book – those with the most expertise are often most uncertain of the world around them because of their very own intelligence, while those with a cursory understanding of things comprehend the world fully due to their simplicity. Lem encapsulates this phenomenon well. He writes, “The ‘well-informed’ think they know something about matters that the experts are reluctant even to speak of. Information at second hand always gives an impression of tidiness, in contrast with the data at the scientist’s disposal, full of gaps and uncertainties” (20). This is because those non-experts come to the information with pre-conceived notions and “what did not fit they topped off with ceremony or hesitation,” or in other words they discard anything that contradicts their theory.
Information is used by politicians and the military for their uses, while the full truth remains in the realm of the scientific community and not public discourse. This begs the question, what is the purpose of all of these discoveries if the public is unaware of the full extent/implications of it? Even more importantly, are the discoveries more dangerous than beneficial if they are not fully understood by the masses?
I enjoyed reading your post and was especially intrigued as I am a critic of the military industrial complex. It is to scary to think that any discovery of extra-terrestrial technology might be retro-engineered in order to produce weapons. This was an underlying theme in District 9. Unfortunately the need for military technology often overshadows more peaceful advances. If we put anywhere as much resources into AIDS or cancer research we'd be cured of both as we speak most likely. Instead the US spends almost half of its' budget on defense spending. Concerning your last paragraph I'd also like to add that wouldn't it be the right of the masses to view a message intended for species across the universe?
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