Re: Social evolution of hominids
Thomas Clarke (clarke@acme.ist.ucf.edu)
14 Jan 1997 14:22:29 GMT
In article <32dc88c7.2319496@news.capital.net> pnich@capital.net (Phil
Nicholls) writes:
>Speculation is not bad, ... but there is a great deal more to physical
>anthropology than the wild speculation and just-so stories.
>Unfortunately, this aspect of physical anthropology is not as "sexy" and
>therefore of less interest to the amateurs and dilatants.
Don't forget, though, that it is the amateurs and dilletantes who
pay the bill in the form of taxes and foundation grants.
When I first got into science I had a real hard time reconciling
myself to the fact that science is a business. Without the money
there is no search for truth.
>It is, however, the meat and potatoes of the American Journal of
>Physical Anthropology and the Journal of Human Evolution.
>Speculations and "grand theories" are the desserts.
But those desserts pay the bills. So don't short change the
dessert. You don't have to eat it if you don't like to,
but if you don't serve it, the customers will stop coming to
your restaurant.
As Tom Wolf says: "No Buck Rogers, no bucks." and no bucks,
no research.
Tom Clarke
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