Scientists Have Opinions

Hey, what do you know? Well educated people who make their living using logic, and are willing to submit the rationale behind their conclusions to inspection have certain characteristics in common. From the Pew Research Center for People and the Press:



Ok, so Americans have a pretty positive view of scientists (slightly below teachers). Scientists, however, aren't quite as impressed with the American public's knowledge of science:


Scientists see an American public that is poorly educated about science, can't tell real science from junk science, and is poorly served by the media on science topics.

Could things like this have anything to do with it?

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has chosen Gail Lowe, an outspoken creationist, to run the state's Board of Education.

It was actually the less controversial choice. Cynthia Dunbar, reportedly under consideration for the post, believed government should be guided by a "biblical litmus test" and thought public education was a "subtly deceptive tool of perversion." (She home-schooled her own children.) She has also endorsed conspiracy theories suggesting President Obama is not a natural-born citizen.

These next two are your opportunity to guess the punchline.



Think you have it?



How about now? Give up?



9% conservative, 6% republican. So that's what people mean when they say that reality has a well known liberal bias!

Should I Stay or Should I go?

If this is true:

But the stem cell battle is not just a high-profile clash of values. The dispute provides a sharp focus on how science may help reshape America. Several states have set aside billions of dollars to support stem cell research, and the new federal money Obama is promising will generally flow to those areas. That means states supporting stem cell research will experience an economic windfall while attracting highly educated technology workers who tend to vote Democratic. The more conservative states restricting stem cell research will attract fewer funds and fewer socially liberal voters. In short, a state's stem cell policy will influence electoral results and help determine whether a state turns red or blue.

...then what should one conclude from this?

Texas researchers who thought President Barack Obama’s executive order lifting the restrictions on embryonic stem cell research would finally free them to ramp up work with the cutting-edge science are facing a new obstacle: the state Legislature.

Eighteen of the state’s leading scientists signed a letter sent to the Legislature Monday objecting to a provision inserted in the Senate budget bill last week that would ban state funding from supporting research involving the destruction of human embryos.

“Such an amendment would be detrimental to Texas,” said the statement. “A ban would halt ongoing research projects and negatively impact the ability of Texas academic health institutions, both public and private, to competitively recruit and retain world-class scientists, professors and students in the biological sciences.”