Posted on 10/13/2021 3:43:28 AM PDT by Kaslin
Cancel culture has reared its ugly head once again, and this time in a new and unprecedented way.
A lecture by a physicist was canceled at one of America's premier institutions of science, MIT, for reasons having nothing to do with the subject of the lecture. The lecture was canceled not because of its scientific content but because of the politically incorrect views on diversity of the scientist scheduled to give the lecture.
Dorian Abbot is a professor in the department of the geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago. He has an undergraduate degree in physics from Harvard and a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from Harvard.
Abbot was scheduled to give the annual John Carlson lecture at MIT's Lorenz Center in the department of earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences. The topic was to be "climate and the potential for life on other planets."
But this lecture will not take place.
In August, Abbot and Ivan Marinovic, an associate professor of accounting at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, published an opinion piece in Newsweek entitled "The Diversity Problem on Campus."
Abbot and Marinovic argued that the politically correct regime now taking control of America's universities, which they identify as "DEI" -- diversity, equity and inclusion -- is undermining the mission of what universities are supposed to be about. That mission is, per Abbot and Marinovic, "the production and dissemination of knowledge."
When universities no longer look for the "most talented and best trained minds" in hiring, and politically motivated criteria drive hiring practices, the university's "core business" – the "search for truth" – is undermined.
They propose that "MFE" – merit, fairness and equality – be adopted as the regime to define hiring practices to displace DEI. MFE is about hiring based on individual merit and qualifications alone.
Abbot is now paying the price for publicly expressing such heresy.
Twitter outrage descended on the administration at MIT, and Abbot was disinvited.
So now academic speech is not just about what is said but who is saying it.
Abbot and Marinovic were right on target in their Newsweek essay, suggesting that the DEI politically correct regime carries forward everything about racism that we supposedly have been trying to get rid of.
Racism is all about obliterating individuality and making predetermined judgments about who any individual is based on socially defined characteristics of the group to which they are assigned.
How can any Black child in America not be injured when they are not taught that they are special and unique human beings but that what is most important is their color.
It doesn't matter whether they are being rejected because of their color or accepted because of their color. Their humanity is being undermined.
Science advances when we recognize that truth is bigger than and beyond any single human mind. Truth is discovered, piece by piece, through humility and hard work, not political arrogance, pretending we already know it.
We might recall that modern science only emerged some five centuries ago. It wasn't all that long ago that most believed that the sun moved around the Earth rather than the other way around. Scientists such as Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei, through honest observations, concluded the prevailing view was wrong. This was politically incorrect then; they were attacked, and their books were banned.
One famous graduate of MIT was the great Nobel laureate physicist Richard Feynman.
Feynman observed, "Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled."
The increasing deference of reality to public relations, meaning suppressing what is true to serve what the politically correct want to be true, is destroying our national integrity, hurting the very people that supposedly we are trying to help, and threatening the future of our nation.
Political correctness is undermining personal responsibility and personal development. Now it is threatening to undermine science and truth.
MIT should step up and apologize to Dorian Abbot.
They depend on grants from the government and organizations, nuff sed how do you want me to march???
Alternately hosted presentation seems to be oversubscribed. We might attend.
The word university implies universal knowledge. Whether one agrees or disagrees with certain tenets, creeds and postulations the University should be a place of sharing knowledge, ideas and discussion on All that can be studied and learned. The dogma of irreligious leftist Wokeness and its censorship is a cancer to the concept of universal freedom of knowledge.
Feynman observed, “Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.”
I love his explanation of the scientific method. https://youtu.be/OL6-x0modwY?t=38
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Feynman was both a brilliant physicist and brilliant lecturer. His students were blessed to have a teacher like that.
Yes. Feynman was brilliant, and his reputation was 100% deserved.
One of my favorite books is “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman” which is an odd name for a book, but I found it to be not only highly educational, but wholly entertaining which appeared to be his modus operandi in life!
If you haven’t read it, I HIGHLY recommend it.
Funny. If I had ever talked to Feynman, I suspect he and I would have been far, far apart on many philosophical and political issues, but...I would have gotten along just fine with him on so many others, and I feel that the differences would have been irrelevant.
I am going to watch the video-as I haven’t seen it. There are so many Feynman videos out there, I don’t think I have seen this one.
Kinna sounds like a Babylon Bee Article right?
Yes...see my post above-this book he wrote is wildly entertaining and educational!
My dad has that book. I should read it sometime.
You absolutely should...he is a fascinating guy. He talks a lot about working on the Manhattan Project, what it was like growing up in Queens, etc.
He is such a wonderfully eccentric character, I would find myself grinning as I read it.
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