Science and Non-science

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Snopes is your friend

We’ve all fallen for one or more internet rumor, passing it along to our friends with comments like “I can’t believe it!” … and then realizing the reason we couldn’t believe it is because it wasn’t true in the first place.logo-snopes-large

Now I admit — I’m a natural skeptic. I demand evidence. But even I can fall for some of these, especially the political ones where I’ve seen such outrageous things that it doesn’t surprise me when a politician says something extremely stupid.

Still, I try to always confirm before posting. And that’s why Snopes is such a great resource.

If you haven’t checked it out, please do. The web page is dedicated to finding out the truth. And it’s also great reading, and easy to get lost with some of the more fun ones.

Recently, I posted about the school that was teaching kids fables, using the Bible as if it was factual. At the time, Snopes could not confirm whether the test was real but said it probably was. They have since done more research and have confirmed its truth. Yes, kids are learning fairy tales in the name of science. This is one of those rare cases where the incredibly stupid thing posted on the internet which gets everyone upset actually is real.

There are huge sections debunking stupid political statements (Obama is a Muslim who swore his oath on the Quran! His birth certificate is fake! Sarah Palin posed in a bikini holding a rifle! Mitt Romney’s ancestors owned slaves and that’s why he can relate to black people!)

They also confirm stupid political statements: John McCain thinks the line between “middle class” and “rich” is $5 million dollars! Obama didn’t pay his traffic tickets from his time at Harvard until 2007! As President, George W. Bush appointed an anti-abortion advocate to be in charge of the FDA’s committee on birth control!

So please: when you read something online that seems outrageous, check with Snopes first before posting it on Facebook.

And seriously: Marty McFly goes to the future on October 21, 2015.

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Editorial cartoon of the day

An old cartoon but relevant to today’s blog post!

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Creationism and education

Why should a religious school that refuses to teach evolution be accredited?

This issue has always bugged me. I support the right of parents to send their kids to a religious school. I believe that under our Constitution you have that right.

However, since school is mandatory, the students need to be taught the basics they need. They need to be taught facts. Otherwise, you’re dooming their future at a time when they cannot make that decision themselves.

If a religious school taught that 1 + 1 = 5, there is no way a state would allow them to continue. But somehow, they can teach that humans and dinosaurs were on the planet at the same time and it’s perfectly fine. What nonsense. That’s not education. That’s child abuse.

Sadly, there are even some Christian colleges that do this. You get credit for saying the earth is 6,000 years old. It’s the only school where you can fail by getting the answer right.

So when you see that new picture floating around the internet which purports to show a test where the student is rewarded for this nonsense, remember: It’s not made up. There really are schools like this. And Snopes even confirms it.

And that is something we should all be ashamed of. No wonder the rest of the civilized world beats us in science scores.

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Why I cannot debate anti-abortionists

It’s just a complete waste of time.

You see, I agree that abortion should be illegal after a certain time, just like it is now. That time should be determined after looking at medical science, concerning viability of the fetus. As science changes, that date may have to be changed as well. It’s a decision based on facts and logic.

Anti-abortionists, however, think that a collection of cells is a “child” from the moment of conception. There is absolutely no evidence to support this position. It is entirely based on either a religious belief or some sort of emotional belief, neither of which belong in our laws.

So whenever I try to debate with these people, I talk science. It doesn’t work. It’s like trying to convince the True Believers concerning creationism or climate change. Facts are meaningless to them when these facts counter their already-held beliefs.

So lately, I have just ignored them. I will fight them every step of the way, because their religious views do not belong in our laws, but I won’t debate them.

anti-abortion

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WTF is a Science Teacher Doing Teaching Creationism?

Doesn’t that, you know, automatically make him unqualified to teach science?

Apparently John Freshwater thinks his firing was unfair. Just because he taught creationism in his science class. And handed out flyers denying evolution. And waved the Bible around. Oh, and then there was that time he burned a cross into a student’s arm.

His lawyers argued, incredibly, that denying him the right to teach crap was a violation of his 1st Amendment rights, completely missing the point that no one was stopping him from spewing out his ignorance on his own time. But this guy was a science teacher! Knowing science seems to be, I dunno, a qualification of this job, don’t ya think?

It’s sad that we still have to fight these ridiculous battles almost 100 years since the Scopes trial. It’s embarrassing, actually.