All posts by Chris

evolution update

Science

A county in Georgia is following a court order to “remove evolution ‘disclaimers’ from science textbooks”:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/24/AR2005052400285.html . I’m glad to hear that, because it indicates that someone, somewhere is being a bit more reasonable about this.

For those looking for more science ammo in this fight, Scientific American has an excellent list of “answers to creationist nonsense”:http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000D4FEC-7D5B-1D07-8E49809EC588EEDF. It answers the most common creationist (or “Intelligent Design”) misconceptions in a clear, decisive fashion. Yay, science!

*UPDATE*: Scientific American seems to have moved the article behind their Wall of Subscription, so here are a couple “alternate”:http://www.angelfire.com/ok5/pearly/htmls/gop-evolution.html “links”:http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/textbookdisclaimers/wackononsense.pdf if you’re still interested in reading the whole thing.

all quiet on the western front

Blog

Not dead, just getting back from a visit to our nation’s capital. Will post a few tidbits soon. This gives you time to read “Deb’s post”:http://www.globalspin.com/mt/archives/000543.html below or catch up on your “Fafblog”:http://fafblog.blogspot.com/.

social security update

Government

Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo has a “fantastic explanation of the Bush administration’s ‘solution’ to the Social Security ‘crisis’”:http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_05_01.php#005638. In short, both the ‘crisis’ (reduced benefits starting in 2041) and the ‘solution’ (reduced benefits starting in 2012) are the same.

The CBPP has kindly provided the “numbers to back that up”:http://www.cbpp.org/5-10-05socsec.htm, showing that the President’s plans don’t even solve the solvency problem they claim to solve. Instead, they create trillions of dollars in new debt for no reason at all.

next course: plague of frogs

Oddly Enough

And you thought nothing odd ever happened in my home town. Apparently there was a “rain of shrimp”:http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/bell/20050510-9999-1m10bell.html recently, which is the La Jolla version of a rain of fish.

cosmetology is not a science

Science

Note to self: “don’t move to Kansas”:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002265204_evolution06.html.

_The first [proposal] recommends that students continue to be taught the theory of evolution because it is key to understanding biology. The other proposes that Kansas alter the definition of science, not limiting it to theories based on natural explanations._

_”Part of our overall goal is to remove the bias against religion that is in our schools,” said William Harris, a chemist who was the first witness to speak yesterday on behalf of changing the state’s curriculum._

I’m personally in favor of teaching the “supernatural theory” that magical pixies inhabit my television and whisper messages to me while they put on fanciful light shows to lull me into a stupor. Perhaps I should write a textbook.

If you’re getting tired of this debate (I am), you might like the “Fafblog version”:http://fafblog.blogspot.com/2005/05/science.html instead. Ah, humor… eases the pain…