[extropy-chat] Fear of flying

[Terry W. Colvin]

Dan Clemmensen wrote:

> kevinfreels.com wrote
>
>>
>>  
>> OK. I guess I am done with my rant. Lies, damned lies, and 
>> statistics. I know. But since I can't shake the fear, I might as well 
>> analyze it. :-)
>>  
>
>
> Hey Kevin. I must have been pretty hard for a control freak such as 
> yourself to post that message to the extropy list.
> Kudos to you for bravery. (since e-mail cannot convey emotion: this is 
> sincere, not sarcasm. Honest.)
>
> Just a question: how well do you handle being a front-seat passenger 
> in a car? this is effectively equivalent to being
> a passenger in an airliner. except that it is statistically much more 
> dangerous.
>
> If you can deal with being a car passenger, how do you do it? can you 
> use the same coping mechanisms for air travel?
>
> You are a control freak. Don't apologize for this: you were born that 
> way., and there is nothing wrong with it.
> Non-control-freaks cannot really empathize with your situation, so we 
> cannot really help.


[Les Strouse, a former Air America pilot, now living in Thailand is 
fearful of stepladders.
He flew Pilatus Porters landing and taking off from hilltop and 
ridgeline airstrips in Laos
and singlehandedly flew a new PP from Switzerland to Saigon.  Go 
figure!  -Terry]

Hi Terry,
A solid list of experiments has determined that human babies
(less than 1 year old - crawling stage) will not crawl - on a
solid glass floor - out over a drop underneath that glass floor.

They will however, if tempted or otherwise cajoled - agree to
back out over the drop. But as soon as that `drop' becomes
visible they immediately retreat to the non-drop portion of their
environment.

It seems we have a memory which says `height is dangerous' -
especially if you're _not_ in control.

cheers

Ray D

Thanks, Ray.  I remember seeing newsclips of this experiment.  If not wholly
learned then this is a genetic memory.  I wonder if this experiment has 
included primate babies, chimps, gorillas, and orangutans?

Terry



-- 
"Only a zit on the wart on the heinie of progress." Copyright 1992, Frank Rice


Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean1 at mindspring.com >
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