Empiric experiment is the key.
Do you always rely on facts?
I do have a general tendency in that direction.
Is there anything else to rely on?
Intuition.
Don't you find facts boring sometimes?
Not at all.It's intuition I find boring because I know it's just a cheapskate excuse to take advantage of me and escape responsibility for having tried it on.
One sees many ladies at racecourses backing horses on "intuition" and,of course,some win on the probability principle,but in the totality they get creamed.It is easy to do,I'll admit that,and it's even easier to forget errors.
What's your intuition on the result of the first test match?
Are we talking cricket(t) here? I have no intuition at all when it comes to sport - especially sports that I don't know how to play (or even how to spell).
In what subject area do you find the factual information most interesting?
Female depth psychology.All other subjects are relatively boring although one does have to engage with them on occasion.Any male who isn't focussed on FDP usually gets wrung out like a dishcloth.I have a suspicion that this results in our lower life expectancy so,as I hope you can imagine,it isn't unnatural for me to stick to the facts.The ridiculous divorce rate suggests that intuition is a rather hit and miss operation.
What was your last beneficial intuition?
that it was right for me to move to England.
I find psychology interesting as well. Have you studied it formally - or do you just collect anecdotal evidence?
we let you in and you know nothing about cricket?
Terrible innit it Steve?And I thought they were having a culture test for immigrants.
I can't see why knowing nothing about cricket can prevent having an intuition about who was going to win the first test match.The oracles in ancient Greece had no idea about what they were asked.
It's odd really-In Salammbo the oracles were said to be the only thing in which Spendius believed.It's in that passage where Flaubert does a quick run-down on a selection of religions.
What does it mean to have studied something formally?
Yes - I am ever so thankful for your (collective) willingness to overlook such a glaring deficiency and do ask your (collective) pardon. :wink:
(I do however, think it's a beautiful game - all those white uniforms against the green pitch- and very civilized as well - tea at half-time, etc).
Do you play a sport?
Sorry Spendi - I didn't see your post>
Have you done double blind studies with control groups, etc. etc. or do you just observe real life ?
(which by the way is a method by which I think you can learn just as much if not more if you're a keen and perceptive observer).
Yes.I mentioned it a short time ago.We don't have "half-time" in cricket dear.(use M Winner tones).We have lunch and tea.A test match is a five day game and is quite taxing.It must be murder to play.
Do you think you can be classed as civilised if you don't understand cricket?
I hope so...
I know it's a lot to ask, but if I try really, really hard to learn -do you think I can be classed as civilized?
I did try some blind studies now you mention it but I unfortunately couldn't control the group.It was a very important lesson.Science has a slight intellectual problem when it controls the objects of its studies.
Wouldn't you agree?
I have to think about that. I think in general in a scientific experiment, the control group is at least manipulated, if not controlled- but I could be overlooking something - I'm not much of a scientist.
Are you primarily interested in the sciences or the humanities?
Don't bother about this leap-frogging.I can handle it.
They say,and having tried it I agree,that it is impossible to explain cricket to an uncivilised person.It is the same with art.
What you need to do is watch test matches and listen to the commentators closely.It can be quite tiring however.One does have periods of concentration losses.
Are you going to watch the summer of test matches?
I can't say I distinguish between science and the humanities.It is all pure science to me.
What are "the humanities"?
There's a lot of psychology in cricket
And soil mechanics
Meteorology
Kidology (Aussie rules)
Stats
Bruising
Broken fingers
(hampers crooked finger tea drinking)
Beer....for spectators only, unlike football
Sweat
Courage
Determination
and all that character building stuff
but most people think its a game for wussies. Fine let them think that.
Question man.You're supposed to ask a question.Sheesh-you'd be no good facing McGrath in overcast conditions.
Otherwise it was a good intro for aidan.I know you left out a few thousand other things but that's probably a good idea with a beginner.
Shouldn't we explain the toss first?
oh yes sorry the question
What was the question?
[one shouldn't explain the mysteries of the toss until the aspirant gives one about cricket]
