conservatives suck at science

[margot]

"Twenty-four year old Bush campaign worker with no science background gets rewarded with appointment to NASA, tries to promote intelligent design, discount the Big Bang on NASA's web page."

Administration official: "Big Bang" is just a theory

Sean at 6:21 pm, February 4th, 2006

Youve heard, I hope, about NASA climate scientist James Hansen, who the Bush administration tried to silence when he called for reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases. Cosmology, as it turns out, is not exempt from the radical anti-science agenda. The New York Times, via Atrios:

In October, for example, George Deutsch, a presidential appointee in NASA headquarters, told a Web designer working for the agency to add the word "theory" after every mention of the Big Bang, according to an e-mail message from Mr. Deutsch that another NASA employee forwarded to The Times.

The Big Bang memo came from Mr. Deutsch, a 24-year-old presidential appointee in the press office at NASA headquarters whose rsum says he was an intern in the "war room" of the 2004 Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. A 2003 journalism graduate of Texas A&M, he was also the public-affairs officer who sought more control over Dr. Hansens public statements.

In October 2005, Mr. Deutsch sent an e-mail message to Flint Wild, a NASA contractor working on a set of Web presentations about Einstein for middle-school students. The message said the word "theory" needed to be added after every mention of the Big Bang.

The Big Bang is "not proven fact; it is opinion," Mr. Deutsch wrote, adding, "It is not NASAs place, nor should it be to make a declaration such as this about the existence of the universe that discounts intelligent design by a creator."

It continued: "This is more than a science issue, it is a religious issue. And I would hate to think that young people would only be getting one-half of this debate from NASA. That would mean we had failed to properly educate the very people who rely on us for factual information the most."

[Svenska Aeroplan]

Well, it is a theory...

[margot]

There's a difference between "theory" commonly used, and "scientific theory".

but more importantly, it's frightening that the president can appoint a man with no knowledge of science a high posistion at NASA in order to push a religious agenda.

[Samurai Drifter]

I agree that it is a theory, though it has so much evidence that it might as well be accepted fact.

There's a difference between "theory" commonly used, and "scientific theory".

There is? Because if you enter "Scientific theory" in Wikipedia you're redirected to "theory".

[Siendra]

See, the thing that should hush this whole argument is that there is accepted and proven circumstance for the Big Bang theory, whereas the circumstances of Intelligent Design in and of theme selves are theoretical.

[John]

My dad, a pastor for almost 20 years, and I were talking briefly about this and we came to the conclusion that all this 'intelligent design' being taught as science really needs to be stopped. The bible is not a science book. When you bring it into a classroom and try to force it down people's throats, you've completly lost all validity with the Bible.

Now, the Big Bang is just a theory and I've never heard that 'it has so much evidence that it might as well be accepted fact.' And I agree that it is kind of scary that a guy with no scientific background had been appointed to a position of relative importance in NASA. But, since he was a journalist, I guess being in charge of the publicity of NASA would be alright which he seems to be doing.

[Samurai Drifter]

Now, the Big Bang is just a theory and I've never heard that 'it has so much evidence that it might as well be accepted fact.'

My own interpretation, though I believe the fact that the Universe is expanding (all galaxies are moving steadily apart) speaks very strongly in favor of it. Remember, the Big Bang theory says nothing at all about the existence or non-existence of God.

[Baltar]

As the universe gets bigger and bigger it also gets colder and colder is the theory.

[The Diabetic]

Conservatives bad with science, Liberals bad with reality.

[Samurai Drifter]

As the universe gets bigger and bigger it also gets colder and colder is the theory.

The rate of expansion also grows as it expands more, what's your point?

[James_xeno]

Conservatives bad with science, Liberals bad with reality.

QFT ^

As for the topic at hand.. I love asking the real hardline creationism fans why, if god created everything, did he set it up to look as if he was full of shit by making (not just leaving) all this other evidence that says different?!

Which is where the ID argument comes into it I guess..

[uniform_motion]

Liberals bad with reality.

Democrats, perhaps. However, reality is something believers should just shut up about.

[Samurai Drifter]

However, reality is something believers should just shut up about.

Quoted for truth. :mellow:

[Ceraziefish]

Quoted for truth.

Quoted for truth. That little face speaks volumes.

[Poophy]

Scientist have to collect data and make judgment based on that data, the big bang is the theory that is supported by the most evidence, intelligent design is supported by nothing other than “we are to complicated to have just to have happened”

The thing is… I don’t think that any one will ever be able to prove how every thing exist, if you chose to believe in a god, than how does god exist? And if you chose to believe in the big bang then were did the original mass at the center of the explosion come from? And were did the energy necessary to cause it to explode come from?

I don’t think that we should be so obsessed with how we got here, because why does it really matter? Just excepted that you exist and be happy! :biggrin:

[Poophy]

But even with that, were did that extremely dense matter come from, why isn’t there any left? If something had that much mass wouldn’t it collapse in on itself causing a black hole to form? Were did the energy come from that caused it to explode? These questions don’t have answers, and probably never will…

[darkon]

They likely never will since every piece of scientific information is based on what makes sense to us and fits our mathematical systems. What if our math is wrong? Think about that. Everything you are being taught about the universe could be a complete lie. For instance, many think without oxygen life cannot sustain itself. But for earth, life was around before oxygen. It adapted to the oxygen (which was a poison) and was able to go out of the water.

[Mithrandir]

I'm sceptical of any mathamatical system that uses IMAGINARY numbers to explain things.

If they're imaginary, then how can they reflect concrete reality!?

[Ceraziefish]

Math is so broken at higher levels.

It's like if you have a bunch of guys making a mine. One guy says he'll handle the top part, the other guy will handle the middle, and so forth. Eventually you have a bunch of guys, each with their own problems, solving them in their own ways. They all started out in the same place (the beginning of the mine, or arithmetic). But now it's totally chaotic and fucked.

[Ceraziefish]

And I don't understand how something that doesn't exist made you.

[Belial]

Ahh I don't understand how a big explonsion made me, if someone could clarify with mathematical evidence I would be happy.

To say that a big explosion made you is disgustingly simplifying the whole theory, though I agree with your right to question the legitimacy it all. Just don't attempt to trivialize it.

[Wind]

But I've never heard any more of the theory than that, so if someone could explain...

http://www.world-mysteries.com/sci_10_main.htm

[Poophy]

The fact is… something exists! This is one of those things that is completely impossible to explain for any stand point… how can something just exists, even for the big bang theory, things existed before it

Further, the big bang theory does not explain what existed before the big bang. It may be that time itself began at the big bang, so that it makes no sense to discuss what happened "before" the big bang.

This is still asking you to believe that something came from nothing!

God created the universe

Ok, were did god come from, you are still being asked to believe that something cam from nothing!

Questions about the origins of the universe are questions that as far as im concerned will never have an answer, because no mater how you explain it you are forced to excepted that something came from nothing, and that in itself is as much of a “leap of faith” as any religion asks of its followers…

[Poophy]

My personal opinion is that the big bang theory isn’t a great theory but it’s the best one we have, and it is the one that most experts currently accepted. And there for I believe that it should be taught in school along with evolution, because creationism isn’t a science, as far as im concerned…

[Galkar]

http://www.world-mysteries.com/sci_10_main.htm

I would not trust that site if I were you...

Approximately 5500 years ago aliens who called themselves the gods invaded this planet. Their temporary presence on this planet is well-documented in religions, temples and related structures the world over. Irrefutable proof that they existed is etched in the stones of Ica. These stones show human like people performing surgical operations we know of and are able to perform only lately like heart and other organ transplants. Some stones show brain surgery and brain transplants. At that time humans for sure were not able to perform such advanced medical surgeries and brain transplants humans still can't do. Therefore, the people shown on the stones are gods. These stones also show dinosaurs and humans interacting with them.