Scientists:Teach crap as science? We'll take our money elsewhere.

[Coexist]

Good for them.

Sometimes you just have to take a stand.

Enough is enough.

Last summer, our governor and the GOP's Shining-Star-of-the-Future Bobby Jindal signed into law SB733, the "Louisiana Science Education Law," which of course, isn't about teaching science at all, but alternatives to same.

While the governor and the legislators who supported the law will mouth talking points about how the law "still requires teaching from the textbook" and "doesn't mandate any changes," intelligent design freaks like William Dembski are tickled pink with the legislation, which allows teachers to bring in "supplemental material" to "complement" the science instruction in textbooks, promoting "critical thinking skills, logical analysis, and open and objective discussion."

Well, real biologists are having none of it. This week, the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology informed Gov. Jindal that his hijacking of science instruction had led them to cancel their New Orleans convention, depriving our town of the economic impact of 2,000 scientists, instructors and graduate students.

from the letter:

The SICB could not support New Orleans as our meeting venue because of the official position of the state in weakening science education and specifically attacking evolution in science curricula. Utah, in contrast, passed a resolution that states that evolution is central to any science curriculum."

The letter goes on to state that the nearly 2,000 scientists that met in Boston last year injected a bit of cash into their economy in these trying times.


Again... good for them. Someone once said something about actions and equal and opposite reactions, didn't they?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Next up: Do not recognize LA high school science credits for college admittance.

That worked with Kansas back in the 90s. They quickly reversed their shithead policy.

[AndrewP]

3. Perfect

[Coexist]

5. I agree.

[Bolo Boffin]

8. That sounds like a plan to me. n/t

[Luminous Animal]

11. It was pretty much John Rennie,

editor-in-chief of Scientific American, who spearheaded the charge to downgrade a Kansan's students science requirements in regards to college admissions.

[donco6]

12. Yes, I agree.

It worked once, and would work again.

[tblue37]

13. On my _Teacher, Teacher_ site I have an article entitled

"Scopes Revisited?: The Kansas Board of Education's 1999 Decision on Evolution":
http://teacherblue.homestead.com/scopes.html

In it I describe some of the consequences of that decision, before it was overturned by the newly elected schoolboard:

<SNIP>

Kansas students will want to compete for scholarships and for entrance into prestigious universities. But if they aren't even taught about ideas considered basic and essential by the most accomplished and respected scientists in the nation and the world, then they will not be prepared for what is, after all, a national competition for scholarships and for places at the most selective colleges and universities.

In fact, soon after the BOE changed the science standards, several universities around the country began to consider screening Kansas applicants more rigorously, to make sure they had studied evolution and the other subjects de-emphasized or eliminated by the new standards. Those students who attended schools that had not taught such subjects would have been placed at a great disadvantage, even if they were not themselves Christians! Some students would thus have suffered penalties for someone else's religion.

As it happens, none of this will occur. During the recent primary elections in Kansas, two of the BOE members (including BOE chairman Linda Holloway) who had supported the revised standards were defeated by opponents from their own (Republican) party. No matter which party takes those seats in the general election, the winners will return the standards to their pre-1999 state.

The Republicans who won their primaries against the BOE incumbents campaigned specifically on that issue, promising to undo what last year's BOE decision had done. That is evidence that the revised standards were pushed through by a committed activist minority, while an apathetic majority simply was not paying attention.

<SNIP>

[Xipe Totec]

2. Evolution at work n/t

[malaise]

4. That is exactly how you deal with the ignorant

Make them pay.

[Avalux]

6. Excellent. Talk to Jindal in a language he understands - money.

Stupid fundie idiot.

[Warren DeMontague]

7. Waaaaaaaaah!!!

But there IS scientific proof for Creation! The Bible!

Waaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

[Hello_Kitty]

9. Science, FTW!! eom

[tridim]

10. And he is the GOP's top "rising star"

I guess he is technically winning the race to the bottom.

Great strategy Repukes.

[Quantess]

14. Louisiana is considering not taking the stimulus money now.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

Scientists want to snub Louisiana? Well well! The Louisiana gub'mint will do some snubbin' right back at the libruls.

Edit: I know the two events are coincidental, even though both stories about Louisiana were posted at the same time.