Sea Duck
Footballguy
And how many people on the right use the "real" percentage to discredit genetic homosexuality?How many people on the left believe that homosexuals make up 10% of population,
And how many people on the right use the "real" percentage to discredit genetic homosexuality?How many people on the left believe that homosexuals make up 10% of population,
A tiny fraction compared to those on the right who deny evolution and the like.You are better than this MT. Of course there are crazy fringe folk on both side of the aisle. Nobody is denying that. But denying evolution and climate change is a prerequisite of the conservative movement. Believing in a greater than 5% gay population and the other things you mentioned, while perhaps strictly liberal ideas, are not put forth as core left beliefs.How many people on the left believe that homosexuals make up 10% of population, or that human races don't exist, or that chakras are anything real?
1. Yes.2. N/A.Does evolution stand up to the scientific method? If not, on what basis does it deserve to be taught?And by the way, I think evolution should be taught in the schools.
Republicans have been completely ridiculous on this issue, no question. But calling the GOP the "anti-science" party is not quite accurate, given the complete and total paranoia of the Democrats when it comes to nuclear energy. During the Japanese tsunami a few months back, a number of Democratic politicians and commentators came on television and made statements so irresponsible as to give the Young Earth Creationists a serious run for their anti-science money.
No.Highly scientific answer.Republicans have been completely ridiculous on this issue, no question. But calling the GOP the "anti-science" party is not quite accurate, given the complete and total paranoia of the Democrats when it comes to nuclear energy. During the Japanese tsunami a few months back, a number of Democratic politicians and commentators came on television and made statements so irresponsible as to give the Young Earth Creationists a serious run for their anti-science money.No.
Nice of you to admit you are a dumb enabling moron apologist.I think there is an irrationality that exists among many Republicans when it comes to science issues. The rejection of global warming is more worrisome to me than the rejection of evolution, because its an issue that we need to address perhaps before all others, and we're not doing it. I believe that liberals can tend to be irrational about nuclear energy and about many environmental issues in general, and that was the point I was trying to make. But in truth it really doesn't compare.Okay, so maybe the "unscience party" is more accurate then.Republicans have been completely ridiculous on this issue, no question. But calling the GOP the "anti-science" party is not quite accurate,
As soon as TA enters a thread, the average IQ goes down by 10 points. On the other hand, whenever he starts one, the first poster after that, raises the IQ level.Nice of you to admit you are a dumb enabling moron apologist.I think there is an irrationality that exists among many Republicans when it comes to science issues. The rejection of global warming is more worrisome to me than the rejection of evolution, because its an issue that we need to address perhaps before all others, and we're not doing it. I believe that liberals can tend to be irrational about nuclear energy and about many environmental issues in general, and that was the point I was trying to make. But in truth it really doesn't compare.Okay, so maybe the "unscience party" is more accurate then.Republicans have been completely ridiculous on this issue, no question. But calling the GOP the "anti-science" party is not quite accurate,
That almost sounds like science.As soon as TA enters a thread, the average IQ goes down by 10 points. On the other hand, whenever he starts one, the first poster after that, raises the IQ level.Nice of you to admit you are a dumb enabling moron apologist.I think there is an irrationality that exists among many Republicans when it comes to science issues. The rejection of global warming is more worrisome to me than the rejection of evolution, because its an issue that we need to address perhaps before all others, and we're not doing it. I believe that liberals can tend to be irrational about nuclear energy and about many environmental issues in general, and that was the point I was trying to make. But in truth it really doesn't compare.Okay, so maybe the "unscience party" is more accurate then.Republicans have been completely ridiculous on this issue, no question. But calling the GOP the "anti-science" party is not quite accurate,
Science Guy: “We need engineers that can build stuff.”
I’m an engineer. I build stuff. And I don’t do it by introducing random errors into my computer programs and throwing out what doesn’t work. I do it with foresight, purpose, and design.
Let’s face it, when “Science Guy” refers to “evolution” he means the creative powers of random errors filtered by natural selection as the be-all and end-all of biological creativity.
Science Guy has it exactly backwards. Faith in this utter nonsense is a science-stopper and the quintessential enemy of engineering, which is by definition goal-driven — the antithesis of “evolution” if he were forced to define it in explicit terms.
Science Guy should have said, “Anyone who doesn’t believe that inanimate matter spontaneously generated highly complex information and the associated functionally-integrated machinery, and that random errors turned a primordial cell into you, is stupid, doesn’t know how science works, and will never have a substantial enough understanding of science to become a productive engineer.”
That’s exactly what he meant. But if he said what he meant, he’d be dragged off stage by the men in white coats and put in a rubber-lined room.
I get it!Another Intelligent Design site weighs in on Bill Nye.
Bill Nye, host of the 1990s "Bill Nye the Science Guy" children's show, makes a plea for evolution in this new video clip. Nye explains that evolution deniers are not scientifically literate and have no future:
Evolution is the fundamental idea in all of life science, in all of biology. It's like, it's very much analogous to trying to do geology without believing in tectonic plates. You're just not going to get the right answer. Your whole world is just going to be a mystery instead of an exciting place.
… Your world just becomes fantastically complicated when you don't believe in evolution. I mean, here are these ancient dinosaur bones or fossils, here is radioactivity, here are distant starsthat are just like our star but they're at a different point in their lifecycle. The idea of deep time, of this billions of years, explains so much of the world around us. If you try to ignore that, your world view just becomes crazy, just untenable, itself inconsistent.
And I say to the grownups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your world, in your world that's completely inconsistent with everything we observe in the universe, that's fine, but don't make your kids do it because we need them. We need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future. We need people that can—we need engineers that can build stuff, solve problems.
It is not so much that the evidence proves evolution but that it disproves creationism. As Nye explains, evidence such as the fossils, radioactivity and distant stars leaves evolution deniers with massive inconsistencies. Such rejection of science leaves one unable to pursue any kind of technical career. Nye is moving quickly and there is much that he leaves unspoken. But listen carefully and you will understand the message.
One more Intelligent design site weighs in.
As anyone who follows the Internet debate over evolution probably already knows, Bill Nye the Science Guy recently posted a
   Why are they so intolerant of our spreading ignorance?!?!   
I disagree with this pretty strongly. I think liberals are just more apt to trust egghead professors explaining complex stuff they don't understand. I think it's less about "trees v. oil" and more about who is viewed as a credible authority.Democrats don't accept global warming because they are neutral arbiters of objective science. They accept global warming because they hate oil companies but love trees. (That's an oversimplification, but so is the idea that Republicans reject global warming for mirror-image reasons.)
There is PLENTY of ignorance running rampant through Washington. It knows no party lines. The only difference is that the GOP puts theirs on display in their words and their actions. The dems are at least "smart" enough to not put it in writing.Maurile, I'm starting to think you work for a big media outlet with all this false equivalency stuff. Are there doofuses and ignorant people everywhere? Sure.But one party has practically made ignorance a requirement to win elected office (no evolution, no climate change, magical ######s, gay is a lifestyle, etc) and has written that ignorance into official declarations of the party's positions. It's not the same thing.
Agreed. I gave a nod to that with the doofuses comment.And I'm not saying Dems are never in the position that Republicans are today. There have been times when Democrats have collectively lost their minds, to win as a Democratic politician meant that you had to embrace some loopy stuff, and the party's platform reflected plenty of ignorance.There is PLENTY of ignorance running rampant through Washington. It knows no party lines. The only difference is that the GOP puts theirs on display in their words and their actions. The dems are at least "smart" enough to not put it in writing.Maurile, I'm starting to think you work for a big media outlet with all this false equivalency stuff. Are there doofuses and ignorant people everywhere? Sure.
But one party has practically made ignorance a requirement to win elected office (no evolution, no climate change, magical ######s, gay is a lifestyle, etc) and has written that ignorance into official declarations of the party's positions. It's not the same thing.
The problem with the science side of the debate is that while much is proven by science on those issues, most of it is grossly overstated to belittle the other side. 1. No evolution. I am not sure that is too many people's position. Most acknowledge evolution is true, but many believe that intelligent design played a role also.2. No Climate change. Most conservatives believe the climate has warmed and the science proves that pretty conclusively. What hasn't been proven is how much of a role man has played. Is it 5 percent or 95 percent? 3. Gay is a lifestyle. If you really understand the only proof out there (twin studies), you would realize that genetics only seems to have an influence, there is room for many outside factors to play a significant role. Again, we have very little science to base what percentage of a role genetics plays. It is definitely not 100 percent or even that close to it.The problem with your position and Bill Nye's is that it is over the top rhetoric which relies on distorting the other side's position. The are lots of great scientists and engineers and doctors out there who are not in line with the left wing absolutest positions on these issues which in fact is more political than scientific.Maurile, I'm starting to think you work for a big media outlet with all this false equivalency stuff. Are there doofuses and ignorant people everywhere? Sure.But one party has practically made ignorance a requirement to win elected office (no evolution, no climate change, magical ######s, gay is a lifestyle, etc) and has written that ignorance into official declarations of the party's positions. It's not the same thing.
Oh there are. For instance, the fetus is just a clump of cells and not a separate being.Yeah, it seems like the Republican attitudes on climate change, and to a lesser extent evolution, just don't have anything close to comparable on the other side of the aisle in terms of deviance from scientific consensus and widespread support within the party. Probably if we disregard those two issues the parties aren't that different in terms of how "anti-science" they are.
Being a "clump of cells" and a "separate being" aren't mutually exclusive. I don't think there's much disagreement about fetal development between pro-choicers and pro-lifers. They just weigh different considerations differently. That's not a scientific question.Oh there are. For instance, the fetus is just a clump of cells and not a separate being.Yeah, it seems like the Republican attitudes on climate change, and to a lesser extent evolution, just don't have anything close to comparable on the other side of the aisle in terms of deviance from scientific consensus and widespread support within the party. Probably if we disregard those two issues the parties aren't that different in terms of how "anti-science" they are.
lolIt doesn't matter what Bill Nye thinks. You are not going to convince people that operate within a faith based ideology of anything scientific
It is a scientific question. It's your body, it is just a clump of cells.....all that rhetoric goes against the scientific fact that a fetus is a separate being. The fetus is not just a clump of cells, it is a developing human being, a separate living being from the mother. The rhetoric goes against scientific known facts. IMHO, it is a far worse position scientifically than any of those who question man's role in global warming or the possibility in a greater force being somehow involved in creation.Being a "clump of cells" and a "separate being" aren't mutually exclusive. I don't think there's much disagreement about fetal development between pro-choicers and pro-lifers. They just weigh different considerations differently. That's not a scientific question.Oh there are. For instance, the fetus is just a clump of cells and not a separate being.Yeah, it seems like the Republican attitudes on climate change, and to a lesser extent evolution, just don't have anything close to comparable on the other side of the aisle in terms of deviance from scientific consensus and widespread support within the party. Probably if we disregard those two issues the parties aren't that different in terms of how "anti-science" they are.
I've never heard a pro-choicer say that it's a clump of dog cells. I've never heard one deny that a fetus would probably develop into a baby if it's not terminated. You're making stuff up.The fetus is not just a clump dog cells, it is a developing human being, a separate living being from the mother. The rhetoric goes against acietifically known facts.
I did not say a clump of dog cells. Dog was inserted in place of 'of' by my iPhone and I quickly corrected it.I've never heard a pro-choicer say that it's a clump of dog cells. I've never heard one deny that a fetus would probably develop into a baby if it's not terminated. You're making stuff up.The fetus is not just a clump dog cells, it is a developing human being, a separate living being from the mother. The rhetoric goes against acietifically known facts.
Damn I thought I had you there.I did not say a clump of dog cells. Dog was inserted in place of 'of' by my iPhone and I quickly corrected it.I've never heard a pro-choicer say that it's a clump of dog cells. I've never heard one deny that a fetus would probably develop into a baby if it's not terminated. You're making stuff up.The fetus is not just a clump dog cells, it is a developing human being, a separate living being from the mother. The rhetoric goes against acietifically known facts.
I see the problem here.I did not say a clump of dog cells. Dog was inserted in place of 'of' by my iPhone and I quickly corrected it.I've never heard a pro-choicer say that it's a clump of dog cells. I've never heard one deny that a fetus would probably develop into a baby if it's not terminated. You're making stuff up.The fetus is not just a clump dog cells, it is a developing human being, a separate living being from the mother. The rhetoric goes against acietifically known facts.

There is a lot of rhetoric in evolution, I agree with you.For instance when NCCommish says above "evolution is the most tested theory in the history of science", what is he talking about? What does "evolution" mean in that context? Is it proven that animals evolve, mutate and change? Yes. Obviously. We can see that happen all around us. Does the same standard of proof exist that shows a primitive cell evolving to a human? Not even close.Just as the young earthers do creationists a huge injustice with their over-the-top beliefs, I think that evolutionists mis-state their position greatly when they take nylon-eating bacteria or peppered moths as some sort of concrete evidence for the entire overall theory.The problem with the science side of the debate is that while much is proven by science on those issues, most of it is grossly overstated to belittle the other side. 1. No evolution. I am not sure that is too many people's position. Most acknowledge evolution is true, but many believe that intelligent design played a role also.2. No Climate change. Most conservatives believe the climate has warmed and the science proves that pretty conclusively. What hasn't been proven is how much of a role man has played. Is it 5 percent or 95 percent? 3. Gay is a lifestyle. If you really understand the only proof out there (twin studies), you would realize that genetics only seems to have an influence, there is room for many outside factors to play a significant role. Again, we have very little science to base what percentage of a role genetics plays. It is definitely not 100 percent or even that close to it.The problem with your position and Bill Nye's is that it is over the top rhetoric which relies on distorting the other side's position. The are lots of great scientists and engineers and doctors out there who are not in line with the left wing absolutest positions on these issues which in fact is more political than scientific.Maurile, I'm starting to think you work for a big media outlet with all this false equivalency stuff. Are there doofuses and ignorant people everywhere? Sure.But one party has practically made ignorance a requirement to win elected office (no evolution, no climate change, magical ######s, gay is a lifestyle, etc) and has written that ignorance into official declarations of the party's positions. It's not the same thing.
And this is one of the common things that jon_mx should have mentioned as well. When folks think about "evolution" they are generally thinking of the macro version. I know few people that don't believe people, animals, plants, etc etc evolve at a micro level. Folks tend to protest evolution as the creation of the universe and that will never be resolved because there's no way for us to understand what things were like before and after the "big bang".Anyone who doesn’t believe that inanimate matter spontaneously generated highly complex information and the associated functionally-integrated machinery, and that random errors turned a primordial cell into you, is stupid, doesn’t know how science works, and will never have a substantial enough understanding of science to become a productive engineer.
Is there any evidence or logic that would possibly allow you to exclude our species from all other taxonomy?Do you actually think evolution is true.... except for humans?For instance when NCCommish says above "evolution is the most tested theory in the history of science", what is he talking about? What does "evolution" mean in that context? Is it proven that animals evolve, mutate and change? Yes. Obviously. We can see that happen all around us. Does the same standard of proof exist that shows a primitive cell evolving to a human? Not even close.
GOLDDIGGER TO THE RESCUE!One more Intelligent design site weighs in.
As anyone who follows the Internet debate over evolution probably already knows, Bill Nye the Science Guy recently posted a
USA! USA! USA!The fact that this is even in an issue in this country is a sign of the real downhill trajectory we are on. The fact that people vote for people who are creationists and there is enough of them to win is just speeding up the demise. It is one the USA's great embarrassments imho
But when parents teach Biblical literalism are they encouraging investigation and intellectual curiousity? Or does it encourage intellectually lazy dogma? The point I have made to my children again and again is to "question everything", which, in my opinion, is the most valuable lesson I can teach them.If anything, kids nowadays do not understand science because they are too freaking lazy to investigate anything, let alone study it, not because some nutjob is brainwashing them into thinking that science isn't real.
They are teaching Biblical literalismBut when parents teach Biblical literalism are they encouraging investigation and intellectual curiousity? Or does it encourage intellectually lazy dogma? The point I have made to my children again and again is to "question everything", which, in my opinion, is the most valuable lesson I can teach them.If anything, kids nowadays do not understand science because they are too freaking lazy to investigate anything, let alone study it, not because some nutjob is brainwashing them into thinking that science isn't real.
   No way to know beyond that what else they are encouraging.This. Humans effecting climate change really isn't an issue of debate anymore amongst climatologists. Those who believe it still is, almost certainly have been manipulated by a non-science based political agenda.I disagree with this pretty strongly. I think liberals are just more apt to trust egghead professors explaining complex stuff they don't understand. I think it's less about "trees v. oil" and more about who is viewed as a credible authority.Democrats don't accept global warming because they are neutral arbiters of objective science. They accept global warming because they hate oil companies but love trees. (That's an oversimplification, but so is the idea that Republicans reject global warming for mirror-image reasons.)
Why is an issue? Because Bill Nye the science guy made it one? lol......The fact that this is even in an issue in this country is a sign of the real downhill trajectory we are on. The fact that people vote for people who are creationists and there is enough of them to win is just speeding up the demise. It is one the USA's great embarrassments imho
It's a sign of how craven MT's view of global warming is that he has to accuse liberals of believing in it not for the obvious reason (science!), but for the caricature of liberal thought reason (they hate big business!).This. Humans effecting climate change really isn't an issue of debate anymore amongst climatologists. Those who believe it still is, almost certainly have been manipulated by a non-science based political agenda.I disagree with this pretty strongly. I think liberals are just more apt to trust egghead professors explaining complex stuff they don't understand. I think it's less about "trees v. oil" and more about who is viewed as a credible authority.Democrats don't accept global warming because they are neutral arbiters of objective science. They accept global warming because they hate oil companies but love trees. (That's an oversimplification, but so is the idea that Republicans reject global warming for mirror-image reasons.)