The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.
–Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
In it’s common usage, I’m not sure this is a strong critique of capitalism. Continue reading “Rope for sale?”
Rope for sale?
Category: Follies of the Human Condition
Missouri’s zombie creationism bill
More recent creationism news, close to home: the “teach the strengths and weaknesses of evolution” bill returns from the dead yet again in the Missouri State Legislature:
The state board of education, public elementary and secondary school governing authorities, superintendents of schools, school system administrators, and public elementary and secondary school principals and administrators shall endeavor to create an environment within public elementary and secondary schools that encourages students to explore scientific questions, learn about scientific evidence, develop critical thinking skills, and respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about controversial issues, including biological and chemical evolution. Such educational authorities in this state shall also endeavor to assist teachers to find more effective ways to present the science curriculum where it addresses scientific controversies. Toward this end, teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of the theory of biological and hypotheses of chemical evolution.
Legislation that specifically singles out evolution nearly always fails, but even if this bill didn’t fail, I don’t see how creationists think this will help them stop their endless string of court losses. As shown yet again in the recent Freshwater case, teachers enthusiastic about teaching the “scientific weaknesses” of evolution pretty much always end up pitting the mainstream science curriculum against “supplementary material” from religious organizations, which is a legal non-starter.
Yep, this should get you fired
An Ohio 8th-grade creationist science teacher with a habit of branding crosses on his students’ arms has been fired, after a long and tedious process and a lawsuit that cost the school district some big bucks.
The referee who evaluated the case for termination nicely summed up in one sentence (PDF) exactly what you can’t do when you’re a public school science teacher:
…He persisted in his attempts to make eighth grade science what he thought it should be – an examination of accepted scientific curriculum with the discerning eye of Christian Doctrine.
Cinde-really? Part 1
The Frogger loves Disney‘s Cinderella, mainly because she thinks Cinderella’s ball gown in pretty, likes dancing, and loves all the cute animals[1,2]. As a result, I have had many opportunities over the past few months to observe this film in great detail, repeatedly. These posts resulted from subjecting the normally active mind, thirsting for stimulation, to triplicate viewings whilst traversing the wintry wastelands of the Midwest, with the first of two presented here, wherein I shall examine what we can infer about the kingdom in Cinderella is set and why you might not want to live in that land of Fairy Tales. Continue reading “Cinde-really? Part 1”
Politics matters…
… as depressing as that may be to hear. Some friends recently described their December trip to India, the first time they’ve visited in years. India’s economy is on fire, unleashing some tremendous pent-up economic demand. What was striking, my friends related, was how strongly India’s economic development is geared toward the future, towards not only catching up with wealthier, more developed nations, but also towards anticipating and meeting economic challenges that loom in the future. This is in stark contrast to the US, which seems, at best, focused on defending the status quo.
Ezra Klein of the Washington Post points us to a speech just given by John Kerry on this very topic. He asks:
Do [we] want a government too limited to have invented the Internet, now a vital part of our commerce and communications? A government too small to give America’s auto industry and all its workers a second chance to fight for their survival? Taxes too low to invest in the research that creates jobs and industries and fills the Treasury with the revenue that educates our children, cures disease, and defends our country?
Critically, Kerry points to our political ossification as our potential Achilles’ heel. While I’m disappointed that Kerry doesn’t offer specific solutions beyond “senators need to learn to work together,” this speech is a must-read for anyone interested in the role of science and tech in our societal health. (Follow the link to Klein’s blog for the whole thing.)
More below the fold to whet your appetite: Continue reading “Politics matters…”
The Finch and Pea 