Always had mixed views about “The Edge”, John Brockman’s collection of the scientific elite as their publishing agent. Here is Technology, Entertainment and Design 2005 conference report, focussing on a comparison between Richard Foreman’s “Pancake People” and George Dyson’s “Godel to Google Net” (Which I think I blogged before).
Anyway whilst the science writing is always good and mixed, inlcuding plenty I believe and plenty I don’t, I was always a bit put off by the “hype”. However, seeing the recent shameless promotion of the Intelligent Design Creationism garbage, and the terrifying way it’s lapped up by an ill-informed popular press, and worse still, ill-informed education planners and school governors, I think science and any good quality intellectual thought needs all the promotion it can get.
More power to you John Brockman.