Monday, December 10, 2007

Mike Huckabee-Science Dead Head!

Wow, Mike Huckabee recently proved, again, that he is a scientific DEAD HEAD!

The first proof that his scientific literacy leaves very much to be desired,came on June 5th when he said during a GOP debate that he does not believe in evolution.In an earlier debate he made statements about how he did not believe in evolution,so he was asked about those statements and asked what he did believe.He started out by saying:
"It's interesting that question would even be asked of someone running for President,I'm not planning on writing the curriculum for and 8th grade science book..."
First of all,if he thought it had no business being in a debate,why did he bring it up in an earlier debate that he didn't think evolution was true?Apparently he did not find it strange or irrelevant then,but thats not the main point I want to make about this opening statement.The most important point is that evolution is a scientifically robust and well proven theory and it's important to know what kind of regard for the scientific community a President will have.He's acting like scientific literacy has no impact or role in the job of the President,and he couldn't be more wrong.

Take for instance,our current president,who is also a scientific dead head.One major area where scientific progress has been hindered by the President and other politicians in Washington is in stem cell research. President Bush gave a speech in May,2005 about embryonic stem cell research and how it's unethical because it destroys the embryo and that every human life is of "matchless value".Ironically for the President,he decided to give this speech while surrounded by 21 families who have adopted "snowflake" children that came from frozen embryos,obviously not understanding that those children wouldn't be there if it wasn't for....embryonic stem cell research!So,you see,when you are a scientific numskull you end up doing things like giving speeches against something while at the same time surrounding yourself with the product of it.

Huckabee then continued by giving the typical mis-representation that if you believe in evolution then you believe:
"..that it's just an accident and that it happened all on it's own"
Of course,he also creates the false dichotomy that you either believe in God or you believe in evolution,which isn't true as most of the religious community,including evolutionary biologists, have no problem finding no conflict between their faith and scientific discovery.Only the really fundamental super duper Bible literalists have a problem with evolution and Huckabee showed he's one of that category with his prior statement of:
"In the beginning,God created the heavens and the earth."
Wow,really?Man,I guess we should just end all the research into Cosmology and Abiogenesis.How can you argue with a QED statement like that?I think all the scientific journals need to end their stupid publications and instead just print a single sentence issue on half a sheet of paper that just reads "God did it".

Now,let's get to proof number two!

In a recent interview on the ABC show "This Week",Huckabee decided he was going to make an analogy about how he's like a Bumblebee when he was asked about people suggesting that he is not a real contender for President.
"It's kinda like the old story of the Bumblebee.By the aeronautical design of the Bumblebee,the wing span,circumference of the Bumblebees body,it's scientifically impossible for the Bumblebee to fly.But,the Bumblebee,being unaware of these scientific facts,flies anyway and makes honey and pollinates the other plants."
I'm sure,to the great majority of people,that sounded like a reasonable and witty analogy,and by the look on his face after this statement,Huckabee thought it was too.Too bad everything he said was 100% WRONG!
  1. Aeronautics is the design and building of aircraft,not the study of how something flies,that's aerodynamics.Maybe he was implying that God is a bad aeronautical engineer and that magic is what makes them fly,but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and just assume he mis-spoke,since he at least got the aero part right.
  2. It's not scientifically impossible for Bumblebees to fly,thats a myth,it's well understood how they fly,so the whole premise of the Bumblebee achieving what people think is impossible is incorrect.
  3. Bumblebee's do not make honey.Sorry to say,but not all bee's make honey and unbelievably Honeybee's are the only type of bee that produces honey.See,the name is the indicator.Who would have known?

I guess the moral of these stories is that scientifically illiterate Presidential candidates = bad,and if you're going to try to make a witty analogy at least try to get something right about it.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

U.S Lags Behind In Science And Math (What A Suprise)

It seems,to no surprise to me,that the U.S is still the runt of the litter when it comes to feeding on the nourishing nipple of science and mathematics.

New reports show that U.S students rank 16th below average compared to other OECD countries,in science.In math,we ranked an appalling 23rd below average.These rankings deal with U.S high school students 15 years old,which is quite disturbing seeing how we find that when children in their younger years of education are on top of the international rankings.

So it seems,as we are getting older we are getting dumber in the fields most important,and to which we owe all our thanks for the civil society and luxuries we all enjoy so much.For the record,when I say luxuries I don't mean only things like big screen T.Vs and fast cars,I mean things like the luxury of not dying horrible painful deaths to disease and other such like things.

In a time of such luxury and longevity you would think that we would be embracing science and math more and more with each new discovery,and with each new ancient disease defeated,but we don't.It seems,to me,that lately there has been real contempt and hatred for science. Things like the ridiculously named "intelligent design" movements have been successfully persuading our scientifically illiterate citizens that all of science is some kind of grand conspiracy theory and not to be trusted and that the real answers can be found in saying "I don't know so God did it",which is really a non-answer. We're seeing "alternative" medicine and other pseudo-scientific healing methods taking center stage on our local and national HEALTH news reports as something that really works.One such report from my local FOX station featured an ironically named "healing touch" therapist who would reduce patients pain by not actually touching them at all,as if people dying of the Black Plague and other ancient diseases missed out on the cure of NOT being touched by someone....

Do you get the point of what I mean to say? Is it any wonder to anyone that we are in this sad state of affairs?

Unless we want to return the the dark age's,we need to emphasize the importance of math and all the sciences,and recognize that we would not have got this far without them and instead turn our loathing and dis-trust toward anything,or anyone,that claims otherwise.