Why Politicized Science is Dangerous - Michael Crichton

MichaelCrichton.com ^ | Michael Crichton

[Bon mots]

Imagine that there is a new scientific theory that warns of an impending crisis, and points to a way out.

This theory quickly draws support from leading scientists, politicians and celebrities around the world. Research is funded by distinguished philanthropies, and carried out at prestigious universities. The crisis is reported frequently in the media. The science is taught in college and high school classrooms.

-excerpted-

Click HERE for the rest of the essay.

[Sherman Logan]

Genetics (the kind that only cares about moving the genes forward, not about intellect) will favor the group that breeds the most prolifically, and they are typically going to be less educated, less thoughtful, and more driven by their hormones than by their brains.

True. However, this is a recent development historically.

Highly successful men used to leave massive numbers of children, due to polygamy and numerous less-formal liasons.

Successful people used to have large families, as the aristocracies, businessmen and even royalty of the 1800s illustrate. In a society with high infant mortality, the children probably survived at a higher rate than the children of the less-successful.

I'm certainly not in favor of going back to a period where the children of the poor starved, but surely we can recognize that there may be unintended consequences of artificially keeping alive those who in all previous human history would have died young.

BTW, in early 1800s England "poverty" was defined as a level of income where the family was unable to feed all its children enough to keep them alive. Now there's a rigorous definition!

[avacado]

Good essay!

"I am not arguing that global warming is the same as eugenics. But the similarities are not superficial. And I do claim that open and frank discussion of the data, and of the issues, is being suppressed."

Given that the "leader" of the GW Movement, Al Gore, will not debate the subject... I would have to agree 100%. It's pretty damn scary that a non scientist is leading this movement and will not tolerant room for debate.

[Fishrrman]

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

You should be able to recognize the quotation without attribution.

How does being less smart than someone else negate the rights that are recognized in the central holding of the Declaration of Independence?

I recognize the quote without attrition.

And without doubt, I also recognize that when Mr. Jefferson wrote that, he was _not_ referring to all men of everywhere in the world, but from the perspective that "all men" meant all the men of the known civilized world.

- John

[SnakeDoctor]

>> Though the will eat liberal environmentalists first, since they’re the easier pickings, most likely to be standing in front of the predator in hopes of bonding with it.

True enough - but the vegans are all so frail I can’t imagine they’d be very filling. They don’t smell all that appetizing either.

But - at least they’d be easy to catch. They’re probably a little out of shape after tree-sitting for a year-and-a-half.

H

[adorno]

Maybe I am reading your statement wrong, and it been a long time since I took a science class but aren’t all theories unproven, hence the reason they are theories. I believe Relativity, Cold Fusion, Wormholes, are all “unproven theories” and I would argue deserve public funding. I am not trying to start a posting fight, I’m just trying to get clarification on your statement.

You are right. However, within my statement I do allow for government support into the research, whatever it is. But, perhaps a bigger clarification is warranted, so then...

I hereby modify my statement to indicate that "a theory full of so many holes" should not be used for government policy or legislation. Furthermore, a theory full of holes should be banned from consideration of funding or policy making, and it furthermore needs to removed from being classified as a "theory" in government and scientific circles. A theory full of holes is junk science and needs to be trashed.

[xcamel]

FReepmail me to get on or off

Click on POGW graphic for full GW rundown

New!!: Dr. John Ray's
GREENIE WATCH

Ping me if you find one I've missed.

---

Important read...

[Sgt_Schultze]

Hmmmm

So the next time critics are denounced as deniers, they should respond by referring to the greenie as a 21st century eugenicist.

[alwaysconservative]

Whatever liberal leanings Crichton may have had when he started out writing, his last several novels (basically everything since Jurassic Park) have been very conservative. I think “State of Fear” should be required reading for everyone who has to suffer through “An Inconvenient Truth”, LOL!

xcamel; thanks so much for this important ping!

[xcamel]

SOF needs to be a full length movie...

[Clemenza]

The good news is that, is a performance-based culture the "token hires" either stay where they are or are dumped in HR.

Affirmative action is hell if you are a gubmint employee or a contractor. In the real world, if you can't hack it, you won't survive.

[Kevmo]

bmflr, but only because Crichton’s previous comments on the Drake equation were right on.

[boop]

Crichton admits that he thinks global warming is occuring. He just opposes the hysteria surrounding it and politicians using it to seize power.

[mamelukesabre]

When and where did he say that? I think you are mistaken.

[srmorton]

A theory is a hypothesis that has been tested over and over with the same result so that there is a great deal of evidence to support it. Theories can be disproved if evidence is discovered that contradicts the theory. They can not be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt because a scientist must keep an open mind and be willing to modify a theory according to the results of experimentation.

[boop]

"When and where did he say that? I think you are mistaken."

I hate to admit it, but I think he was on NPR when I heard this. I think he agrees there is GW, he just doesn't buy the man-made aspect and he REALLY hates this science "by consensus"

[Bon mots]

I can't resist posting this here since it's Gore-Bull Warming related...
Gore's mansion...

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GoreBull Warming
Click on the image to see the video

Putfile Version (Higher quality)

Here's Another video showing what an imbecile Al Bore is (featuring Rush).




...and finally...
Good anti-Global Warming video that picks apart Gore's stupid film.

[SShultz460]

bmfl

[A Texan]

Thanks for the explanation and I do agree with you.

[sasafras]

“Affirmative action is hell if you are a gubmint employee or a contractor. In the real world, if you can’t hack it, you won’t survive.”

You got to be kidding or just out of touch. It is a liberal view like that that allows the racial bias to perpetuate. How many times have we seen govt employees move up the chain or employees in companies which continually linger and promoted based on race? If you try to fire these non performers you are threatened with a lawsuit and/or the EEOC, regardless of their performance. I have seen it with my own eyes several times. It sickens the hell out of me.

This country is going down the tubes because we are not vocal about this crap. The reason we have these racist programs in the first place is because the left is organized and willing to speak out. Only when we quit acting like country club republicans and get serious about our issues and the evil the left perpetrates will we get our country back.

this was not an attack at you personally but I wanted to dispell that myth.

[Clemenza]

Not at my company, or most financial firms for that matter. “Gubmint employment” is a whole ‘nother matter, and those jobs have always been polticized anyway.