Subject: Lisa
Date: Sun, 22 Sep 1996 11:39:33 +0300


Comrades,

I've just returned from a lengthy period of being effectively incommunicado,
only to be stunned and terribly saddened by learning of Lisa's death. I
still don't know quite how to come to terms with it. I never met her in
person, and I didn't know her as well as many others on the list, but we
shared a certain sympathy or affinity, perhaps as the only two scientists
who contributed regularly. Since it seems to be the thing to do, I will try
to share a few of my thoughts about her, although I'm rather skeptical about
the appropriateness of this, since it seems almost a profanation to speak
about the life of an obviously talented, intelligent, committed, and active
person only in the context of an Internet mailing list.

Lisa was a breath of fresh air on an often stagnant list. She was possessed
of a truly scientific attitude, a great deal of common sense, and an ability
to focus on issues instead of egos. In many areas that were discussed, she
did not possess an abundance of theoretical sophistication, but more
important than any such lack was the fact that she was never afraid to
appear naive, a fear which has often kept many of the rest of us from
learning from each other and from advancing an argument in a sensible way.
Time and again, she intervened to focus a thread that had been decaying back
on the fundamental isues involved, often by asking questions that others
were, for one reason or another, afraid to ask straight out.

We shared a strong interest in evolutionary sciences in general, and in the
project of understanding the evolution of human society in particular. She
was very much a "hard" anthropologist, approaching the question with the
twin principles of rational choice modelling and a strong analogy (sometimes
an identity) between social evolution and evolution by natural selection. An
overly limited framework, but one well-suited to preliminary investigations
-- also infinitely preferable to the trendy anti-scientific mysticism so
common in disciplines like anthropology. I had very much looked forward at
some point to arguing with her seriously about the faults of such a point of
view, and attempting to develop something better.

We encountered each other in these and other forums on the question of the
"debate" between science and the eclectic body of "thought" on it that can
be lumped under the rubric of the postmodern critique of science. While this
was an issue she was very passionate about, and while the ignorance and
smugness of many of the people in the debate infuriated her at times, she
always kept her cool, unlike me, and always strove to communicate, never
merely to ridicule. A difficult course, but one bound to produce results if
enough leftist scientists make similar efforts.

I don't know what more to say. This is all so inadequate. I wish I had met
her. I'll miss her. Capitalism, patriarchy, and organized religion in Utah
can breathe a little easier for a time. 

Rahul



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