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The inclusion of Vonnegut's _Cat's Cradle_ is bizarre --- it posits an impossible substance, with bizarre properties, and examines society in a way I have troub

The inclusion of Vonnegut's _Cat's Cradle_ is bizarre --- it posits an impossible substance, with bizarre properties, and examines society in a way I have trouble relating to, and its commentary on science such as it is, is if anything, discouraging. _Dune_ for its role in inspiring the study of ecology would seem more fitting. It's unfortunate that a didactic text such as H. Beam Piper's novella "Omnilingual" couldn't be considered instead.

jhbadger 2y ago
While I agree that the book presents a fairly negative view of science and scientists (it reminds me strongly of Margaret Atwood's more recent Oryx and Crake), the idea of a substance with the properties of ice-9 isn't that ridiculous -- it was actually suggested by Irving Langmuir (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1932) to H.G. Wells as an idea (although Wells never ended up using it)
- JKCalhoun 2y ago
  I see nothing wrong with calling out the dangers of science in the service of the military. I wouldn't assume the list should include only science cheerleading books. (And probably the Pynchon inclusion in the list dovetails with Kurt Vonnegut's.)
teachrdan 2y ago
Prions behave a bit like a biological version of ice-nine. It's a novel shape of protein that "teaches" other protein to be shaped like it. Obviously its scope is far more limited than all the world's water, but it's still sobering to think that this risk even exists.
cduzz 2y ago
In Cat's Cradle, "Ice 9" is an idea that sweeps across the world destroying it. It's an allegory.
gowld 2y ago
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S246851942300263X https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S24685... Deracemization in near equilibrium crystallization system Materials of single chirality can also be achieved by deracemization of a racemic mixture to pure enantiomers in a near-equilibrium system. Deracemization processes aim to transform the undesired enantiomer into the desired enantiomer with a high yield of 100%

jhbadger 2y ago

While I agree that the book presents a fairly negative view of science and scientists (it reminds me strongly of Margaret Atwood's more recent Oryx and Crake), the idea of a substance with the properties of ice-9 isn't that ridiculous -- it was actually suggested by Irving Langmuir (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1932) to H.G. Wells as an idea (although Wells never ended up using it)

JKCalhoun 2y ago
I see nothing wrong with calling out the dangers of science in the service of the military. I wouldn't assume the list should include only science cheerleading books. (And probably the Pynchon inclusion in the list dovetails with Kurt Vonnegut's.)

teachrdan 2y ago

Prions behave a bit like a biological version of ice-nine. It's a novel shape of protein that "teaches" other protein to be shaped like it. Obviously its scope is far more limited than all the world's water, but it's still sobering to think that this risk even exists.

cduzz 2y ago

In Cat's Cradle, "Ice 9" is an idea that sweeps across the world destroying it. It's an allegory.

gowld 2y ago

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S246851942300263X https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S24685... Deracemization in near equilibrium crystallization system Materials of single chirality can also be achieved by deracemization of a racemic mixture to pure enantiomers in a near-equilibrium system. Deracemization processes aim to transform the undesired enantiomer into the desired enantiomer with a high yield of 100%