Why has science gone to war with natural selection and evil ution?

[AV1611VET]

Knowledge is not the answer to all problems. It is an important part of the answer to many problems, however.

Then you guys can take your totem poles elsewhere; along with your cheap Nobel prizes and all the other melodramatic hype that is meant to put you guys up on a pedestal and your name in lights for 15 minutes.

I'm sure it means nothing to Somalians.

 

[Cabal]

Then you guys can take your totem poles elsewhere; along with your cheap Nobel prizes and all the other melodramatic hype that is meant to put you guys up on a pedestal and your name in lights for 15 minutes.

And what exactly are you going to do for them, Christian?

Pray? Judge? Show them your expertise in reciting integers?

I'm sure it means nothing to Somalians.

I'm sure it doesn't to the religious fundamentalists in Somalia, much in the same way that religious fundamentalists in America display (and revel in) their ignorance.

Really though, good job. Way to ask about scientists helping people and then flinging it back in their faces. It's not what we say, it's what we are.

 

[CabVet]

Then you guys can take your totem poles elsewhere; along with your cheap Nobel prizes and all the other melodramatic hype that is meant to put you guys up on a pedestal and your name in lights for 15 minutes.

I'm sure it means nothing to Somalians.

Shall we replace all of their hospitals with churches while we are at it? If so, what religion? Christian churches? If so, what denomination, and why?

 

[sfs]

Then you guys can take your totem poles elsewhere; along with your cheap Nobel prizes and all the other melodramatic hype that is meant to put you guys up on a pedestal and your name in lights for 15 minutes.

I'm sure it means nothing to Somalians.

And you can take all of your posts elsewhere too, along with all of your endless challenges, all of your complaints about scientists, and all of the other melodramatic hype that is meant to put you on a pedestal and your name in lights every 15 minutes, seven days a week.

I'm dead certain that none of that means anything to Somalians either.

Did you have a point with this series of posts, or were your just trying to be broadly hypocritical and annoying? At least we're trying to cure diseases and learn more about the world. What's your excuse?

 

[Naraoia]

There was this German guy in the 1940s who had similar ideas, and a similar misunderstanding of the Theory of Evolution as you do. It didn't go well for him, IIRC. The name escapes me at the moment.

Implicit Godwin

As others have said, scientific theories are descriptive, not prescriptive. Humanity has always "gone to war" with natural processes. If you wear glasses, you're "at war" with short- or long-sightedness. But so what?

I'm feeling positively heroic now! I'll try to remember that next time the Scottish weather p***es on my glasses

Of course we can share information. You only have to go on the Internet to find practically the entire sphere of human knowledge. The problem is that people don't want to learn. Schools can try to teach kids about chemistry and physics, but some kids simply don't want to learn.

Part of the problem is that school can be impressively good at making these subjects - or any subject, really - boring. Physics classes should be like the Launchpad.

I don't think the lack of access to knowledge is the problem though. You could have a fountain of knowledge in each classroom, but it would make no difference if you could get the kids to drink from it.

What's needed is a culture that embraces learning and respects study (terms like "boffin" and "swat" shouldn't be used as insults). We should have the same level of respect for our brilliant thinkers as we do for our sports stars, musicians and actors.

We need to make sure that while information is available, it's availaible to everyone, no matter where they live, or what handicaps they might face. Lots of libraries with internet access, braile books and audio books, learning support for the physically and mentally handicapped.

We need to encorage parents to read to their children and help them study, and make sure they have the time to do it. And we need to make sure there are provisions for those who have parents who can't or won't.

We need to make sure we recruit the best teachers, and then keep them. We need to make sure classrooms are of a suitable size so these teachers can keep control and learn the individual needs of each child, rather than keep piling more and more in. We need to make sure that classrooms have the necessary equipement for children to learn. And we need to make sure lessons are interesting, relevent and engaging.

Beautifully said.

 

[spartacus1984]

because of America and other "Christian" countries hauling themselves up on the backs of disadvantaged nations?

Is this just what you believe or do you have any evidence that America and "Christian" countries take advantage of other nations?

 

[Cabal]

Is this just what you believe or do you have any evidence that America and "Christian" countries take advantage of other nations?

Take a look at how many immigrants from poorer countries do the low paid jobs in richer countries. Have a look at how utterly unbalanced trading regulations are between poor and rich countries. Find out how many rich western companies outsource as much work as possible to poorer countries because they won't have to pay them as much, and in many cases pay them a pittance even by the poor country's standards.

If you want to go further back in history, look how many native tribes were conquered, colonised and evangelised by people plundering in the name of Christ.

 

[AV1611VET]

At least we're trying to cure diseases and learn more about the world. What's your excuse?

My "excuse" is that I haven't been called to cure diseases and learn more about the world.