Comments on: Eruptions of Know-Nothingism

By: Gerhardus

Gerhardus — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:24:28 +0000

Hmmmm some of us was politicians a while ago but after furthering our education we become scientist

LOL

By: Dan Shields

Dan Shields — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 06:34:48 +0000

Mr. Mooney, once again, sir, you’ve done it. Anti-intellectualism has found its niche among the GOP. Sometimes it’s called “nuance” by them, but mostly it’s just ugly. Thanks for attending, advertising, and safeguarding our national interests.

By: Jeanious

Jeanious — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:53:02 +0000

Of all the post docs I know, not one is an atheist. Not one believes that there is one, and only one, logical, grounded
interpretation of the “knowns” in physics, chemistry, astronomy,
biological evolution. Each is aware that there are “problems” with consensus in all these fields. Of greater danger to scientific objectivity, if any such thing indeed exists, is not “know nothingness” but, rather, pretending to know more than one actually knows. Some of the most brilliant thinkers realize where interpretation leaves off and only ego, and vanity, and false accuracy continue to tread. Ultimate scientific literacy consists in the ability to know that the best informed guess is nonetheless speculation. No wiser words have ever been spoken, regarding any frontier in science than, “I do not know; but looking at the same evidence others parse in other ways, I will tell you my take on it.”

By: CCPhysicist

CCPhysicist — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:37:43 +0000

Concerning “U.S. Geological Survey facilities and equipment, including stream gages, seismic and volcano monitoring systems and national map activities” and Gov. Jindal’s revival of the Know-Nothingism …

Stream Gages are used to monitor water flow in tributaries, and thus provide input data for models used to predict flooding of larger rivers. You know, like predicting flooding of the Mississippi into New Orleans.

Mapping may sound mundane, but the elevation bench marks used to determine the correct height of a levee are maintained by the USGS. One of the major contributing factors to the flooding by Hurricane Katrina was (according to analysis by the ASCE study group) the detail that the bench marks had subsided along with everything else. The levee may have been 10 feet above the bench mark, but it was no longer 12 feet above sea level. Keeping those elevations up-to-date was an important recommendation made to help avert similar problems in the future.

By: Philip H.

Philip H. — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:05:27 +0000

I doubt Mr. jindal will reply. Which is sad, because he was educated as a scientist. But he’s become a politician, so his training has been twisted to ensure he makes it to the next level, and the next, and the next.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:50:57 +0000

Eruptions of Know-Nothingism Was this article sent to the governor? I would really like to know if he attempted to reply.

By: Michael F. Sarabia

Michael F. Sarabia — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:52:50 +0000

You wrote: “But I’ll dive back in for Governor Bobby Jindal, the creationism-promoting conservative rising star who governs my home state of Louisiana.”
It always gets me when “Creationists” (?) proceed God-like to denounce Darwin’s reputation, is that like “the pot calling the kettle black!” or vice-versa? (too often I get my metaphors wrong).
Perhaps, someone will care enough to learn that even the Pope is not a Creationist (tell no one) and made it clear in his book “In the Beginning…”, written in 1986.
—
On Gov. Jindal, a columnist wrote that he was picked because of his racial background. Is that reverse discrimination?
And, how can he present the Katrina disaster as the best example of Government participation. You think he has a future in politics? Maybe they will change his name to Katrina 2.0?

By: Cold Lightning

Cold Lightning — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:34:12 +0000

If one thinks that Jindal’s thoughtless attack on volcano spending was ridiculous, check out the painfully unscientific defense of tobacco consumption by PhDs hired to defend the tobacco industry. My favorite is the study that indicated one of the forty toxic chemicals found in cigarettes is also found in fast food french fries. He is correct, but if one examines the foot notes of the study, a grease gourmet must eat over nine hundred pounds of french fries in order to consume an amount of that toxin equal to the daily intake of a two pack-a-day smoker.
Another investment of the tobacco industry in academic research.