Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 10:49:49 -0600
From: Wolfgang Brinck <wolfgang.brinck@hksystems.com>
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
Subject: Re: Skin Boat and Hard-shell
Stefano Moretti wrote:
> Wolfgang Brinck wrote:
> >
> > Paul R. LaBrie wrote:
> >
> > snip
> >
> > > I've often wondered what the ancient Aleuts would do, given epoxy, fiber and
> > > 1000 years.
> > >
> > > - paul -
> >
> > Interesting speculation, but the real Aleuts, given 50
> >
> > years and membership in the cash economy, have adopted
> >
> > the aluminum skiff and the outboard motor. Before that,
> >
> > given access to sawn boards, they built dories.
> >
> > Wolfgang
>
> Give them more money and they'll go nuclear is what you're saying ??
No, what I tried to say is that human society isn't a physics experiment where you
can take
a society at an arbitrary point of development and change a single variable, like
introduce
a new piece of technology. This sort of speculation is within the realm of science
fiction, but
even on Star Trek, they are not allowed to meddle.
Also, new technologies have succeeded the old when the new had an economic edge
over the
old. Aleuts, as all other societies should get to make their own choices about what
technologies
they would like to adapt. Only rarely as in the case of the Amish in America do
societies make
a conscious choice about what technologies they would like or not like to adapt
regardless of
economic pressures.
Of course, as individuals, we get to adapt any technology we like and when it comes
to the
members of this mailing list, we seem to like our boats to be skin on frame
Wolfgang
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