[IP] Unintelligent Designs -- substituting religion for science
Begin forwarded message:
From: Barry Ritholtz <ritholtz@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: November 12, 2004 6:19:54 PM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Cc: scs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, tfairlie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, h_bray@xxxxxxxxx
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 about
the 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@xxxxxxxxxxxx
(212) 895-3614
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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On Friday, November 12, 2004, at 05:19 PM, David Farber wrote:
Begin forwarded message:
From: h_bray@xxxxxxxxx
Date: November 12, 2004 4:36:15 PM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] book burnings are next...
How is it book burning to mandate that more information be provided,
rather
than 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@xxxxxxxxx
watha@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Blog: www.monitortan.com
Recent writings: www.boston.com/business/technology/bray
David Farber
<dave@xxxxxxxxxx To: Ip
<ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
cc:
Sent by: Atex users:
owner-ip@xxxxxxx 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@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: November 12, 2004 3:26:49 PM EST
To: David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
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 19123
http://www.CampusClients.com
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