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Losing the War on Science

posted by on Thursday December 08 2016, @10:33PM   Printer-friendly
from the more-like-a-massacre dept.

aristarchus writes:

According to our dear friends over at Wired, we are losing the war on science. This interview with Shawn Otto, author of The War on Science [no-script hostile] ranges from the American presidential election to Albert Einstein:

His new book The War on Science explores ways that citizens can fight back against a creeping tide of anti-science nonsense promulgated by everyone from postmodern academics to greedy oil companies to nature-loving hippies. An important step is to make journalists understand that science and opinion should not be given equal weight.

"The purpose of a free press in a democracy is to hold the powerful accountable to the evidence," Otto says. "Journalists have really lost sight of that purpose, of their entire reason for being."

Fair enough. But things have gotten worse?

He fears that the war on science will only intensify once Donald Trump takes office in January. "I'm very concerned, as is the rest of the global scientific community," Otto says.

As a personal aside, I find it unlikely that the public, those who executed Socrates, burned the Library of Alexandria, and imprisoned Antoinio Gramsci, could fall for such a diaphanous fraud as the Republican attack on science! People back then were truly and profoundly stupid. But people today have the internet, and facebook, and a total misunderstanding of science, politics, ethics, and math. So, this will not end well? Help me, Soylentils, give me hope.

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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by aristarchus on Friday December 09 2016, @06:14PM

    by aristarchus (2645) on Friday December 09 2016, @06:14PM (#439282) Journal

    Oh, what a sad state of affairs when Anonymous Solylentils are arguing with characters in the movie "Idiocracy" as if "Idiocracy" was not fiction . . . Oh, crap! Be right back, I have to run down the street to see what the name of the burger place is. How long was I asleep?

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 14 2016, @11:49PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 14 2016, @11:49PM (#441474)

    Is it still Fuddruckers?

    • (Score: 2) by aristarchus on Thursday December 15 2016, @12:01AM

      by aristarchus (2645) on Thursday December 15 2016, @12:01AM (#441478) Journal

      So far! But I don't expect it will last. Just saw announcement of a new TV show: "Ow, my Trump!" The end is nigh!

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 15 2016, @12:45AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 15 2016, @12:45AM (#441486)

        He was a 'tard and now he's a president! He sure put the smackdown on Vince McMahon [youtube.com] at Wrestlemania 23!! He starred in an awesome porno. [nydailynews.com] Coolest president ever!!! Hi 5s bro!!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏