*thrilled*

[moonwise]

In the immortal words of Dr. Stan Johnson...

PHAT CITY! SCIENCE WINS AGAIN!

Judge rules against 'intelligent design' in science class

I've been following this story for a while now with trepidation. One of my major bitches with the current administration - aside from all the other bullshit - is the anti-science, pro-religious attitude. Our Fearless Leader has cut funding for the NIH and NSF, has consistently quashed pioneering research in areas he considers objectionable while flying in the face of hard data like global warming to protect his own interests, and has fostered a climate of small-minded religious justification. While I don't suggest that our Fearless Leader is responsible for intelligent design, he does encourage it, and he encourages other similar religion-based ideas to flourish under his watch.

The defeat of intelligent design in PA gives me hope that the intelligent people in this country will begin to fight back against the relentless push of a vocal, religiously motivated minority. A summary of the trial was given in the New Yorker a few weeks ago - for an excellent article on the subject, I direct you to Why Intelligent Design Isn't. (Sadly, the trial summary was not published online, but you can read a Q&A with the author here.) While my scientist's soul cringes in horror at the misinformation we are fed, at the repeated rape of our natural resources, at the anti-science crusade, this one victory gives me hope that maybe things will change.

Comments

[memlu.livejournal.com]

Personal religion aside (woe, for I am Christian), I'm definitely relieved intelligent design isn't making into class. Partly because wow, what a way to charge political hostilities even further by adding I.D. to the required curriculum, but mostly because religion of any sort shouldn't be pressed onto anyone in a classroom, much less a science classroom.

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

I had high hopes for that one - everything I'd read about the judge's comments during the trial made him sound like a sensible kind of guy. And so he is, yay!

[jaina.livejournal.com]

And he's a Bush appointee, too! How'd THAT happen?

[arafel.livejournal.com]

The New Yorker account of the trial is terrific. I wish it was online so that everyone could read it.

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

Except when it's a piss-taking editorial in Scientific American of course *g*

[donna-c-punk.livejournal.com]

The defeat of intelligent design in PA gives me hope that the intelligent people in this country will begin to fight back against the relentless push of a vocal, religiously motivated minority.

I really do not understand how it keeps happening in Kansas. The last time they messed around with the science classes, all of the idiots who were responsible for "intelligent design" were voted out on their asses. In between then and now, these weirdoes - different ones, same ilk - managed to worm their way back onto the Board of Education. Now they made fools out of the whole state again a few weeks ago. Guess what's going on now? They're talking about the Board of Education getting voted out - AGAIN - because of this!!!

[66sect.livejournal.com]

YAY SCIENCE!