id smackdown
December 20, 2005 10:11 AM Subscribe
This post was deleted for the following reason: DOUBLE
oh no, those poor people whose religious beliefs already pervade every aspect of political life in this country.
wah.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 10:15 AM on December 20, 2005
wah.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 10:15 AM on December 20, 2005
Sorry about that.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 10:19 AM on December 20, 2005
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 10:19 AM on December 20, 2005
So you did find the door, except it was the wrong one. Keep looking!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 10:22 AM on December 20, 2005
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 10:22 AM on December 20, 2005
Let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy holiday season. Its blissfully quiet here in downtown New York.
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:24 AM on December 20, 2005
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:24 AM on December 20, 2005
Let us all flag the post together in the spirit of brotherly love.
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 10:28 AM on December 20, 2005
posted by Protocols of the Elders of Awesome at 10:28 AM on December 20, 2005
This seems like a good place to argue that teaching creationism in science class is a *great* idea, for the very reason that it's bad science if it's science at all. You get the idea in school that science is just this sort of epistemological ladder of facts, starting from the base and stinking ground of the everyday and ascending to lofty heights where only befuddled titans of Science dwell.
99.9% of the people who learn science will not become scientists. Frankly, it seems unlikely their lives will be more or less rich depending on whether they understand calculus (well, OK, I'd say it's richer but I'm biased). What can possibly be the advantage of teaching science to people who won't use it?
Critical thinking; an understanding of the tremendous struggle over the millenia fought by countless thousands of nameless lab workers and dreames; an appreciation of the legacy that is manifest in their every waking moment, in every tool they take to hand.
These are not served by hiding the battles; this legacy is dishonoured by hiding challengers and dissenters. Evolution has come as far as it has not by careful shepharding and quarentine - it is a powerful, beautiful, and above all EFFECTIVE idea. It will meet these pathetic mewlings head on and leave them Intelligently Designed corpses, bleeding and abused on the very field where they rode out with banners flapping to challenge this "theory", their horns and bicycle wheels wrapped around their broken forms.
Intelligent Design will succumb to selection pressure, like all things, and pass from this world as surely as the dodo and the irish elk.
posted by freebird at 10:36 AM on December 20, 2005
99.9% of the people who learn science will not become scientists. Frankly, it seems unlikely their lives will be more or less rich depending on whether they understand calculus (well, OK, I'd say it's richer but I'm biased). What can possibly be the advantage of teaching science to people who won't use it?
Critical thinking; an understanding of the tremendous struggle over the millenia fought by countless thousands of nameless lab workers and dreames; an appreciation of the legacy that is manifest in their every waking moment, in every tool they take to hand.
These are not served by hiding the battles; this legacy is dishonoured by hiding challengers and dissenters. Evolution has come as far as it has not by careful shepharding and quarentine - it is a powerful, beautiful, and above all EFFECTIVE idea. It will meet these pathetic mewlings head on and leave them Intelligently Designed corpses, bleeding and abused on the very field where they rode out with banners flapping to challenge this "theory", their horns and bicycle wheels wrapped around their broken forms.
Intelligent Design will succumb to selection pressure, like all things, and pass from this world as surely as the dodo and the irish elk.
posted by freebird at 10:36 AM on December 20, 2005
Not to mention that the earlier post links to the actual decision, rather than a secondary source.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:36 AM on December 20, 2005
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:36 AM on December 20, 2005
I agree with your first point/s freebird. It would be a good learning tool.
I doubt it will pass away as easily as all that. See for example: astrology
posted by edgeways at 10:40 AM on December 20, 2005
I doubt it will pass away as easily as all that. See for example: astrology
posted by edgeways at 10:40 AM on December 20, 2005
The earlier post is also better for later searching, and tagged appropriately.
posted by gleuschk at 10:44 AM on December 20, 2005
posted by gleuschk at 10:44 AM on December 20, 2005
I agree with your point, edgeways. Jam is delicious.
posted by JeffK at 10:45 AM on December 20, 2005
posted by JeffK at 10:45 AM on December 20, 2005
uh, this seems like a great development, but it will further feed the "oppressed christian" who battles to save xmas and freedom of religious expression, as they like to say. already, i've seen press reports framing this decision as a "block" to ID. i guarantee folks will hold this up to demonize "activist" judges and to suggest their views are under attack. does that mean this decision was wrong? no, but it might mean that it was politically unfavorable.
posted by willns at 10:46 AM on December 20, 2005
posted by willns at 10:46 AM on December 20, 2005
Yeah, but nobody takes astrology seriously. Right?
posted by dazed_one at 10:47 AM on December 20, 2005
posted by dazed_one at 10:47 AM on December 20, 2005
See for example: astrology
Sure, but does anyone consider astrology a challenge to science? Is it the merest whisper of a threat to astronomy? Is it taught in school? Like residual particles of an invasive microbe, these ghosts of past science and mysticism remain, but serve only to strengthen the immune system of the host. We are haunted by these spirits of old systems, but they are friendly ghosts by and large. I see very little competition for NASA dollars from astrology, and with age they even become pleasant companions.
I have a fairly scientific view of the world, professionally and personally, and I quite enjoy the Tarot. Not because I think it taps mystic forces, but because I think it's a nice system for my subconcious and mythic mind to play with. Which, arguably, *is* tapping "mystic forces", but not in the way StarChild over there in the corner with his dreadlocks and Celestine Prophecy might mean it. I find astrology less rewarding in this regard, but that's a question of taste I should think.
posted by freebird at 10:50 AM on December 20, 2005
Sure, but does anyone consider astrology a challenge to science? Is it the merest whisper of a threat to astronomy? Is it taught in school? Like residual particles of an invasive microbe, these ghosts of past science and mysticism remain, but serve only to strengthen the immune system of the host. We are haunted by these spirits of old systems, but they are friendly ghosts by and large. I see very little competition for NASA dollars from astrology, and with age they even become pleasant companions.
I have a fairly scientific view of the world, professionally and personally, and I quite enjoy the Tarot. Not because I think it taps mystic forces, but because I think it's a nice system for my subconcious and mythic mind to play with. Which, arguably, *is* tapping "mystic forces", but not in the way StarChild over there in the corner with his dreadlocks and Celestine Prophecy might mean it. I find astrology less rewarding in this regard, but that's a question of taste I should think.
posted by freebird at 10:50 AM on December 20, 2005
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posted by anastasiav at 10:14 AM on December 20, 2005