Enough is enough. Tell the House leadership to keep ignoramuses off the Science Committee

Science • October 2012 • Views: 1,271

Todd Akin’s at it again. This time, he’s declaring that evolution is not “a matter of science”:

‘I’ve taken a look at both sides of the thing and it seems to me that evolution takes a tremendous amount of faith,’ Rep. Todd Akin said in audio of the event obtained by Think Progress. ‘To have all of the sudden all the different things that have to be lined up to create something as sophisticated as life, it takes a lot of faith.’

Todd Akin, you may recall, is a member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. If you think that’s as much of a disgrace as I do, please sign this petition to Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi: House Leaders: Establish knowledge standards for members of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

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6 comments

TDG2112 Sat, Oct 13, 2012 1:10:17pm

Signed it.

Here is what I wrote in "Why is this important to you:"

Science and technology is what our economy is based on today. If the Science committee is full of people who can't tell the difference between a hypothesis, scientific theory that has been tested and "just a theory" we are doomed to an ever worsening economy, geopolitical position and military ability. As goes our scientific understanding of the world, so goes our ability to move forward and expand new frontiers.

Mostly sane, most of the time. Sat, Oct 13, 2012 2:34:24pm

We could have a science literacy test to admit members onto that committee. No bubbles in a bar of soap silliness, just stuff like:

Name the three parts of an atom.
Tell at least one of the Newton's three laws. Extra points if you can do all three.
What are the three major types of rock. GEOLOGY rock.
Name all eight planets. Extra points if you can do them in order.
Why can't we build a base on the surface of Jupiter?

Stuff like that.

If they can't answer, they can go on the committee to choose birthday cakes or new lamps or something.

Tigger2005 Sat, Oct 13, 2012 3:11:46pm

These guys think the job of government is to make sure all the people "believe rightly" so that God will continue to prosper and protect us. You know, like a theocracy does. Accepting evolution makes God mad at us, meaning he might withhold his blessings and protection. Therefore, this "lie from the pit of hell" must be stopped. For them, that's part of the government's responsibility for our national security and economic well-being. That it's also totally against the Constitution is, well, what do they care? Their faith is in the Bible, not the Constitution (even though they most likely haven't read either one).

TDG2112 Sat, Oct 13, 2012 4:04:24pm

re: #2 Mostly sane, most of the time.

Actually, they should be able to explain the difference between Science and Faith.

Science is about testable Hypotheses. All you need to know about that is on PBS's Dinosaur Train and the little T-Rex who drills that every show "A hypothesis is an idea you can test!"

Whereas faith is just an idea that hasn't been, or can't be, tested, perhaps something you just want to believe, or believe because everyone else believes it. A good example of this is Aristotle saying heavier objects fall faster than lighter objects. Believed for THOUSANDS OF YEARS for no better reason than the fact that people just had faith in Aristotelian physics: [Link: en.wikipedia.org...]
I mean, he was the smartest guy around, wasn't he? Who would question him? Why bother testing? Everyone had so much FAITH in him and his ideas it wasn't until years after Galileo proved them wrong that Universities finally amended their curricula.

sauceruney Sat, Oct 13, 2012 4:23:01pm

Signed and tweeted.

TooManyJens Sat, Oct 13, 2012 6:27:38pm

Thanks, everyone!

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