I have been following the controversy about Ben Stein's "documentary" Expelled and no I have not seen it yet. But Ken Miller sums up scientist's fears about the effect of this "documentary" and the intelligent design movement in general.
Miller in an op ed piece in the Boston Globe writes:
"It deceives its audiences, slanders the scientific community, and contributes mightily to a climate of hostility to science itself. Stein is doing nothing less than helping turn a generation of American youth away from science. If we actually come to believe that science leads to murder, then we deserve to lose world leadership in science. In that sense, the word "expelled" may have a different and more tragic connotation for our country than Stein intended."
So why should I even waste money on seeing Expelled? Now I don't want to hearing any intelligent design whining about not having an open mind. I have looked at the trailers and read the reviews and oh by the way spent several excruciating days biting my tongue at the Kansas Board of Education hearings several years back where I heard the best the ID proponents can give and I have waded through much of the ID literature. And you know what? There is nothing there!
Nothing.
2 comments:
Why do scientists keep providing nuclear weapons and other wmds to every government that can pay.
I was told by our Bio Prof that science is international and knows no nationality, and yet science has provided the means to kill us all and poison the earth for thousands of years.
A lot of students wonder where it will lead.
(I am sorry, but I must sign is as anonymous.)
Well, first of all you have to distinguish between science and technology. Science is all about understanding how the universe works. Technology is all about using that information and unfortunately some uses just are wrong.
Science has provided the means to do lots of good stuff as well but it is up to us (including science and engineers) to show the wisdom to make the right choices.
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