No bother - Alex already found the story and posted it on a quick-link page. Unfortunately, the Bombay Times, or whatever, did not reference the story of the ‘Sweet water’, unlike msn.news.  But it’s up, anyway.  Success, ah what a sweet smell.

I think that no matter what the amount of your bank account, you want to belive in something bigger, higher than yourself.  Those lower on the money ladder have fewer research options.  It is a matter of having fewer oppturnties to learn due to having to take care of the more basic needs like feeding their kids and themselves.  consider that while India may spend a lot of money in learning, a lot of the people may not have the chance to take advantage of that due to just trying to survive. 
Us in the west not only think differently than those in the east and have different learning methods

I agree with every previous post, all of them thoughtful and correct within their own context.

And education certainly does not prevent superstition or stupidity, one is now a stupid person with a degree.  Like that book, ‘Dead Doctors Don’t Lie’ (I am still wondering what that really means), anyway, people are duped into buying sea silver, some potion made of keplp, and all kinds of other bogus products.  Why does the AMA not cure cancer but these people with their snake oil can?  Because Doctors make too much money fighting it to ever want to cure it!  Nevermind it was doctors who came up with anti-biotics, a succesful treatment to prevent polio, etc!

Arthur Conan Doyle, himself an MD, believed completely in psychics and seances, etc.

So your points are correct, stupidity is prevalant everywhere, including the Mumbas.

If only the rest of the world were as smart us those of us at this website!  Well, you guys, anyway, better leave me out of it.

And the point about at least a few people making it big in the Gold Rush, and the dot-com stuff, too, is valid.  Damn!  All that dot-com stuff happened right here in my town, San Jose, CA, and all I did was watch it happen!

Dan, who never rushes in where those who hesitate are lost, or something like that

Captain Al - 22 August 2006 01:09 AM

Overall the quality of education in the United States is probably better than any other country in the world

You’re ninth, actually, but carry on.

which is why they were able to build space shuttles and land men on the moon. However, certain jurisdictions within the United States (Kansas comes to mind) are trying hard to downgrade their level to that of some third world countries. So as I said before, we must insist on good public education with an emphasis on real world scientific thinking and not allow it to be diluted with religion and pseudoscience.

Belief in pseudoscience and superstition does not seem limited to any particular economic class (of country or individual). Your comment “It

Captain Al - 22 August 2006 01:09 AM

Overall the quality of education in the United States is probably better than any other country in the world which is why they were able to build space shuttles and land men on the moon.

1. they were able to land men on the moon because they had the financial power and a political system engaged in a cold war with Russia backing the effort. The important intellectual & technological contributions behind the moon landing program however where not American, but came from foreigners like Von Braun (a German). Most of the great “American” scientists & engineers were and are actually educated in Europe, not America;

2. The USA certainly does not have te best education system in the World. I am getting very wary of all those Americans assuming their country is the best in everything just because they are the currently dominating world power.

LaMa - 22 August 2006 12:23 PM

The USA certainly does not have te best education system in the World. I am getting very wary of all those Americans assuming their country is the best in everything just because they are the currently dominating world power.

My ‘ninth’ comment wasn’t a joke. I was referring to an OECD report, which now I can’t seem to find… but here’s a reference to it in the Boston Globe.

Top of the heap were Finland, Korea and the Netherlands.

LaMa - 22 August 2006 01:22 PM

But of course!

There, I quoted your response beforehand to save you the trouble of typing it.