For the same reason others talk about golf, World cup, politics, movies etc. It is what interests them. Maybe the real question is, given the importance of science and technology in today's world, why are so few non-scientists participating in these discussions?

Like Mike says... on both points.

As for its being an abnormality, of course it's abnormal; practically pathological! Have you stopped to estimate what percentage of the population comprises the academics?

Or think of this: academic subjects are dull, dull, dull! Only questions about  who was in bed with whom, and for what purpose, who popped the tops (errr... well, you know what I mean!) scored the goal or whatever it might have been, are interesting. Anything more technical had better crop up and get dealt with at work, and then only because it looks bad on your paycheck if you don't get it out of your hair quickly enough.

What? Don't believe me? But you can't beat democracy! Ask any hundred normal people you stop in a street or a soccer crowd, and see how many contradict me.

I think it was Ambrose Bierce who said that the first man you meet in the street will be a fool. If you do not believe him, ask him and he will prove it. Statistically I think Beirce was on a good wicket.

It does not become the likes of you and me to defy statistics...

Mind you, it can't last, you know.   In certain countries I already have seen intimations that (ugh!!!) immigrants are rapidly infiltrating the upper echelons through mean-minded expedients such as taking unfair advantage of an intelligent interest in higher standards of higher education, and some lately backward countries seem to have graduated into leading positions internationally by paying attention to related concerns.

The importance of technical education at competitive levels really seems like a serious problem, doesn't it? But don't be worried, it simply cannot be a problem: as someone pointed out, when there is something you cannot change, it isn't a problem, it is real life. The rest is up to you. As someone else said, if you choose the action (or inaction!) you choose the consequences.

 Such as when you talk about anything of substance at parties.

Jon

I'm not familiar with the problem, to be honest. A bore is a bore if he's an academic or a would-be comedian. Is it an abnormality? I have long suspected that being a bore is probably a diagnosable psychiatric condition. Some people just don't seem to know when to stop talking; the worst of these also invade your privacy physically; breathing on you, prodding you and touching you. I think their lack of empathy in conversation is linked to their lack of respect for another's personal space.

At worst, a bore is a thief; he steals your time and you cannot get it back, so don't be afraid to be rude. He won't be offended, he'll be too busy looking for another victim. If the bore is an academic, at least there's a chance you'll learn something before you extricate yourself.

There are people who only work to earn a living and it is irrelavent to their social life.

There are others who enjoy what they work at and are happy to talk about it as subjects arise socially.

Then there are those who would define themselves by what they do;it is their reason for being and naturally they will talk about it anytime.

Academics are often such types.

Nice notes, PB and t! Points well taken. In particular the points concerning bores are well worked out; being a bore has little to do with what you are being a bore about. It has to do with forcing material on people who don't want it, or doing it in such a way that they don't want it. Either a bad teacher, a bad pupil, or bad conversationalists can create such situations.

One good thing about blogs and similar forums is that anyone who gets bored there has mainly himself to blame; he need not waste time on unwelcome items. If there are no welcome items he should damwell contribute some of his own or go

Concerning parties the only point I would add is that I lack sympathy for the whiner who finds that the run of the mill conversations aren't doing it for him, then crashes the conversations of people discussing matters of substance (not necessarily technological) and then complains that they are talking about boring stuff instead of something he would prefer, only he doesn't know what.

Context of course is crucial. For example, in the early modern days of computing practically all the programmers were hackers (in the old sense!) and especially the inner circles were computer-obsessed. It was a healthy situation for most of them; only the minority were pathological, and most of those were unmarried (the ones who still came to work in their own leave time when forced to take leave, mostly. Nowadays the likes of them would spend their leave at home on their PCs of course.)

Anyway, four young chaps shared a flat and two of them were programmers. The other two were driven to distraction. "All you two @#$%^&s ever talk about is computers!". After some time a third one got a job as a trainee programmer. The remaining one was driven nearly to hysteria: "All you three @#$%^&s ever talk about is computers!".  In the end he got a programming job in sheer self-preservation, and never another word about boredom was heard. Not for as long as I knew them anyway!

Hope I wasn't boring anyone, not worse than usual anyway!

Cheers

Jon