[syriacus]

Neat column. Thanks for posting it.

[steve-b]

Since neither the creationists nor the evolutionists were there when the world began, why are our schools teaching either set of beliefs, when there are so many hard facts that the schools are failing to teach?

Neither any LAPD officer nor any member of the Dream Team was there when Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman died. Why did the courts bother with OJ Simpson when there were so many cut-and-dried cases they might have handled?

Thomas Sowell is usually smarter than this. Heck, Paris Hilton is usually smarter than this.

[Milhous]

I have long suspected that there is a part of the male brain -- perhaps most of it -- which automatically shuts off at the sight of a good-looking woman.

Hypothalamus

Research has shown that at least one nucleus in the hypothalamus is sexually dimorphic; the medial preoptic area or nucleus. This area is generally bigger in men than in women.

[writer33]

Good stuff, ss. Thanks for posting.

[Mr_Moonlight]

BUMP for later reading ... although it'll prolly be in tomorrows NY Post print edition. I always enjoy Sowell's "Passing Scene" columns :)

[goodnesswins]

Thanks for posting this......I especially liked "Someone once said that the most important knowledge is knowledge of our own ignorance."

That reminds me of how I felt after college.....like NOW I knew how IGNORANT I really was.

[Milhous]

BTW it just caught my attention that Dr Sowell published this column through creators syndicate. AFAIK creators syndicate typically publishes columns to their website a couple of days after the columns run in Olds Media, which makes for a handy research tool. :)

[taxesareforever]

Nightmare for the 2008 Presidential election: Hillary Clinton versus John McCain. I wouldn't know whether to vote Libertarian or move to Australia.

Truly a dilemma that even I would consider.

[highlander_UW]

It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.

A perfect description of talking with a liberal.

[oldbrowser]

Who would have dreamed that "Merry Christmas" would become a controversial phrase? But increasingly schools and other institutions avoid it like the plague, in order to be politically correct.

A couple of years ago people were complaining that we had lost the meaning of Christmas. It was supposed to be about celebrating the birth of Christ not an occasion to buy each other presents and have parties and parades.

So they changed the name to winter holiday and now we are complaining because they changed the name.

[Billthedrill]

It apparently does not occur to some engineers who design products that most of the people who will be using those products are not engineers.

Ridiculous. If engineers had the social skills necessary to imagine such a thing they wouldn't be engineers, now would we? They. I mean they.

[Forte Runningrock]

"Nightmare for the 2008 Presidential election: Hillary Clinton versus John McCain."

That's just unimaginable. That's worse than a nuclear bomb going off. may as well go live in Mecca. As a Jew.

[13Sisters76]

I consider Sowell to be the most brilliant mind on the planet- I loved this: "It is usually futile to try and talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance."
oh, so true...

[Hardastarboard]

It apparently does not occur to some engineers who design products that most of the people who will be using those products are not engineers.

Good point, and I would add another thought as well. Even the "C" engineers get jobs. I see it (and deal with it) in the design of a LOT of products.

[RoadTest]

I just found my week's tag line in this article!

[kevkrom]

It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.

That would be tagline material if it were short enough... :(

[RoadTest]

Thomas Sowell is even smarter than Andy Rooney!

[jim_trent]

> It apparently does not occur to some engineers who design products that most of the people who will be using those products are not engineers.

I once tried to make a design I was working on idiotproof. I found out that idiot are more persistent and more creative than I ever gave them credit for.

[Former Dodger]

Dr. Sowell is always a good read, but often hard to find in the "Liberal Zone", i.e. the NYC Metro area, thanks for posting this.

One question, if this is true:
"Bumper sticker in Berkeley: "Animals are little people in fur coats."
Then are the PETA loonies going around splashing red paint on them?

[OXENinFLA]

Ping....