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Unintelligent Designs -- substituting religion for science
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 23:53:07 -0500
Begin forwarded message: From: Barry Ritholtz <ritholtz () optonline net> Date: November 12, 2004 6:19:54 PM EST To: dave () farber net Cc: scs () CampusClients com, tfairlie () frontiernet net, h_bray () globe com Subject: Re: Unintelligent Designs -- substituting religion for science Dear Dave, I have to say that I am astonished that anyone -- even Hiawatha Bray --would somehow suggest that a religious tract such as "intelligent design" somehow translates into mandating "more information" for high school students.
What about astrology? Numerology? Witchcraft? Do they count as "more" information? Hey, its all just data!That view is astoundingly, mind-numbingly naive -- or incredibly, stupendously idiotic. Now that I have exhausted my supply of adjectives for the month, I must
admit that I'm not sure which of these two sad states mind is worse.But I do know this: After a few years, the Students of South-central Pennsylvania will find themselves at a competitive disadvantage when applying for jobs or to college. Darwinian competition will lead to these unfortunate students going to weaker schools, getting lower paying jobs, and (unfortunately) finding it more difficult to support a family. Hopefully, these mis-educated students will recall
what occurred and place appropriate blame where it belongs: on the "unintelligent designs" of the school board.It would be a great twist of irony if this line of thought led to an eventual end of the genetic experiment that is currently manifested as the adult population of South-central PA. But Darwinism doesn't work that way on a social level, and instead, this group will likely end up merely under-educated and under-compensated and a burden on the
rest of society. (Some may even become columnists).Eventually, someone will look into why this town finds itself at a competitive
disadvantage with schools whose science courses actually teach science.By then, real estate prices in the region will be depressed and an entire
generation of students will have fundamental misunderstandings aboutthe nature of the world they live in. But, hey, thats the advantage of local autonomy: People are free to be as idiotic as they want! Its unfortunate that students suffer from the lack of judgment of their elders, but I'm suspect
there is a Darwinian lesson in that also.However, do not under any circumstances somehow confuse the establishment of the religious creationist belief in public schools as somehow equating to
"more information." To do so is simply pathetic . . . Astounded that we are having this conversation in 2004, Barry L. Ritholtz Chief Market Strategist Maxim Group britholtz () maximgrp com (212) 895-3614 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Big Picture: A blog of capital markets, geopolitics, with a dash of film and music!
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/ On Friday, November 12, 2004, at 05:19 PM, David Farber wrote:
Begin forwarded message: From: h_bray () globe com Date: November 12, 2004 4:36:15 PM EST To: dave () farber net Subject: Re: [IP] book burnings are next...How is it book burning to mandate that more information be provided, ratherthan less? Seems like the very opposite of book burning to me... Hiawatha Bray Technology Reporter Boston Globe 135 Morrissey Blvd. P.O. Box 55819 Boston, MA 02205-5819 USA 617-929-3119 voice 617-929-3183 fax 617-233-9419 cell bray () globe com watha () monitortan com Blog: www.monitortan.com Recent writings: www.boston.com/business/technology/bray David Farber<dave () farber net To: Ip <ip () v2 listbox com>cc:Sent by: Atex users:owner-ip () v2 list Subject: [IP] book burnings are next...box.com 11/12/2004 03:38 PM Please respond to dave Begin forwarded message: From: "Sean C. Sheridan" <scs () CampusClients com> Date: November 12, 2004 3:26:49 PM EST To: David Farber <dave () farber net> Subject: book burnings are next... Dave, You gotta read this: 'DOVER, Pa. ? When talk at the high school here turns to evolution, biology teachers have to make time for Charles Darwin (search) as well as his detractors. With a vote last month, the school board in rural south-central Pennsylvania community is believed to have become the first in the nation to mandate the teaching of "intelligent design" (search), which holds that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by an unspecified higher power.' http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,138419,00.html Sean C. Sheridan (215) 320-1810 Campus Party, Inc. 201 Spring Garden Street Philadelphia, PA 19123http://www.CampusClients.com
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- Unintelligent Designs -- substituting religion for science David Farber (Nov 12)