Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Faraday Cages, Revisited
Yesterday I was reviewing some of my old posts and found this one from back in August of 2007: The Unknown National Scourge of Faraday Cages. Amazingly enough, it's still topical.
In case you don't feel like following the link down memory lane, here's the Readers' Digest version: a Faraday Cage is an enclosure which prevents the entry or escape of electromagnetic radiation. Basically, it has two functions, one of which is to protect whatever is inside from the effects of unwanted external inputs. My theory at that time was that there was a gigantic Faraday Cage which covered both Capitol Hill and the White House, preventing the intrusion of unwanted facts and good ideas.
It's still there.
Republican pollster Neil Newhouse famously said a few days ago that, “We’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers.”
Yep. Those damned facts are pesky things, aren't they? And both parties tend to think that the only real facts are the ones which support their respective campaign positions ... whether true or not.
We're seeing a campaign of lies, distortions, and half-truths ... of hot air and slime and vast amounts of money that could be spent on better things.
And it's all protected by the mental Faraday Cages of the True Believers*.
Remember Bilbo's First Law: Don't let anyone do your thinking for you. And if you have your own personal Faraday Cage, put it in storage until after the election ... you'll find that the world is a very different place without it.
Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
* With thanks to Eric Hoffer.
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7 comments:
A Faraday cage is an accurate metaphor for the White House and Congress now. There's a triumph of political dogma, and a lack of goodwill.
We need fewer True Believers and Faraday cages. And more pragmatism.
Your title had me vaguely remembering Faraday's Law and using my right hand to determine the direction of the electromagnetic field or something like that. Anyway, I didn't know about Faraday Cages before today but it'll be easy for me to remember what they are now.
I'm waiting for someone to actually say, 'We know these facts are true. We made them up ourselves.'
Faraday cages work both to keep information from getting out, and keeping information from getting in.
Too much secrecy.
I'm tired of both Congress and the White House.
Thanks for all the comments!
Mike, you just have to read between the lines.
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