issue41 [Jet小组]第十五次作业

x6xUID: 2180130

Issue 41. Such nonmainstream areas of inquiry as astrology, fortune-telling, and psychic and paranormal pursuits play a vital role in society by satisfying human needs that are not addressed by mainstream science.
WORDS:590  Untimed  DATE:2008/03/04

Would you believe in the prediction of destiny according to fortune-telling? Do stars in the space have some special meanings as described in astrology? Though most people will say no facing those questions, they still take part in similar activities unconsciously. In fact, nonmainstream areas indeed satisfy human needs, but they are free from playing vital roles in society.

Addmittedly, nonmainstream areas supply a way for people to get acquainted with what are never addressed by mainstream science. To illustrate, Linux Operating System(OS for short), most of which can be downloaded free from the Internet, satisfy the demands of people who cannot bear the high prices of Microsoft operating system. In fact, no matter on the functions or user interfaces, Linux OS is at least as perfect as Microsoft OS. For students who choose to use Linux, they really couldn’t afford the high prices of Microsoft OS, though most of them are still willing to use Microsoft OS in future. If there’s no Linux, poor people will have no OS to run applications on. Therefore, nonmainstream areas substitute the ignorance of mainstream areas and satisfy some people’s needs.

However, many nonmainstream areas are anything but true science and even harm the society. Astrology is a case in point. Stars in the space are just properties existing objectively, rather than gods with live souls. Consequently, how can we believe that they will tell predictions to future. Though many people see astrology as a kind of entertainment, sometimes it will guide us wrongly. It is common in China that when people prepare for significant events, such as holding marriages, traveling far away and so on, most people will turn to astrology to help them select dates for those activities. Once I met that a family changed their date for the little son’s marriage party again and again, just because that everytime after the family set down the date according to the wizzad’s theory, soon he would change his minds and suggest another date. As a result, the family noticed relatives and friends to come to the marriage party several times, which made all feel bad. Therefore, when astrology exceeds the status of a kind of entertainment to become a guideline for people to make choices, the false theory will ruin people’s regular lives.   

What’s more, since nonmainstream areas are accepted by few people, the effects will be limited. Regardless of false science like astrology and fortune-telling, which are not encouraged or even allowed by governments, the affected people of nonmainstream areas are so few that they couldn’t play vital roles in society. Let us go back to the example of operating system. According to a widely-developed survey powered by USNews.com, people using Linux OS takes up no more than 2.37% of the whole computer users around US, while Microsoft OS covers 95.57%. Therefore, it is not strange why the main tendency of OS development has long been determined by Microsoft. Not until Linux OS become more accepted to become a kind of mainstreams, will it have the opportunities to affect the society greatly. Actually, nowdays the producers of Linux are busy seeking support from academic world, such as institutes, universities and so on, to make Linux become a mainstream in that area. The fact furtherly proves that nonmainstram areas are free from significant status.

In sum, judging from the reasons mentioned above that many nonmainstream areas have limited effects and even harm the society, we can safely concluded that though they indeed satisfy human needs, they couldn’t play vital roles in society.