Blackfoot Physics [52 Books #6]

Blackfoot Physics was written by a quantum physicist. I expected this book to be more like The Dancing Wu Li Masters, which integrated thoughts on quantum mechanics with eastern principles. Peat instead views the world through the eyes of native american beliefs and attempts to show us the shortcomings in our culture. I felt misled.

Peat raises many valid points about western society's loss of touch with nature; even when we go to 'touch nature' it often by going on a day-long hike or a camping trip, or a walk in a field. A whole books about such thoughts is a worthwhile read. But Peat tries to prove the west's need for a return to nature by invoking the similarity between western science and indigenous sciences of the Blackfoot, Iroquois, Lakota, and other native tribes, painting, well, interesting contrasts of their use of the scientific method. In short, western scientists conduct an experiment to ask nature questions and the data from the experiment is the answer. Indigenous science sit down and speak to nature directly, waiting for the answer to be spoken to them. Peat also decries the conflict-driven, adversarial ways western science reaches a consensus, using the infamous cold fusion announcement as an example. The flaw in his reasoning is he never explains why conflict is bad – we are left to assume that hundreds of scientists arguing over a new theory is by nature less correct than the same people sitting down and discussing it long into the night.

I don't have any objecton to reading about alternative views of the world, from the magic of Casteneda to the beliefs of religious doctrine to self-help meditation guides. What David Peat did annoyed me. He tries to correspond two different belief systems, calling both equally valid science, to demonstrate the inherent superiority of native american lifestyles. I wish he'd simply wrote a book showing how peaceful, empathic and grounded the lifestyle can be. That book would rise on its own merits. He doesn't need to attempt scientific justification of native values.