RE: Sci-fi Reference is needed

Eugene Matusov (ematusov who-is-at udel.edu)
Fri, 13 Aug 1999 19:44:38 -0700

Thanks a lot Rachel, Nate, Kathie, Phil, Vera, John, and Paul for your help
in finding the reference! If the story what I remember it was I plan to
include it in readings for my class for preservice teachers to provoke a
discussion on transmission of knowledge.

This is a good example of how collective memory works... It is a network...

Eugene

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rachel Heckert [mailto:heckertkrs@juno.com]
> Sent: Friday, August 13, 1999 4:32 AM
> To: xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu
> Subject: Re: Sci-fi Reference is needed
>
>
> Eugene,
>
> I think the story is Isaac Asimov's "Profession" which is in a current
> collection by Ballantine called "Nine Tomorrows" - truly a gem of a story
> and probably meant as a comment on what education was becoming in 1959
> and has become much more so since. Even reading was taught by direct
> neurological manipulation. The boy didn't want to be a rocket pilot but
> a metallurgist - less romantic but more relevant. In '59 the "dream
> profession" was rapidly becoming nuclear physics.
>
> Regards,
>
> Rachel Heckert
>
> PS If that Ballantine is out of print it's probably in almost any
> comprehensive collection
> of his short fiction, since it's one of his "classic" stories.