The War on Science

In my review of Frankenweenie, I mentioned a speech given by the ghoulish science teacher of the lead character, voiced by Martin Landau. He is addressing a meeting of parents, after one of their children has been injured during a science experiment. He doesn't defend himself well, basically calling the parents stupid and ignorant, and that he wants at the childrens' brains. He is, of course, fired. But there was a thread of truth in the speech, a clarion call for sanity that one doesn't expect in a Tim Burton animated film. Many people today accept the benefits of science, but somehow mistrust or outright condemn its practitioners.

"Science doesn't have all the answers," a parent says in the film Jesus Camp, a documentary about evangelicals. Of course, this parent had a house full of all the amenities that science has brought him, from the telephone to the automatic dishwasher. What is behind this animosity toward science? In Jesus Camp, it's a position that science must be antithetical to religious belief. Scientists work through hypothesis and experimentation. They don't guess, they don't chalk things up to faith or superstition. Clearly this rankles the blindly religious, who resent those who might make judgements outside of their religious beliefs.

It also seems to me to be about anti-intellectualism, which has been around since at least the post-war era. "Pointy-headed intellectuals" were to be mistrusted. Intelligence was valued, but not too much intelligence, for too much meant you were someone other, not a regular Joe. Using "high-falutin" words was perceived as talking down to someone. This is still strong today. Take a look at Rick Santorum's statements. He called President Obama a "snob" because he thought everyone should go to college (Obama did also include technical schools in his statement) and then said recently that the Republican Party doesn't attract "smart" people, as if this is a good thing. Inventors, who were once great heroes, can still be valued. Jonas Salk was a hero, and Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have attained a certain god-like status, but one saved lives, which almost everyone can appreciate, and the other two attained financial success, which is more appreciated that scientific prowess.

Part of what fuels this is the right-wing media, led of course by Fox News. Stuary Varney, of Fox Business, made a statement doubting the polls, which had Obama ahead of Romney. He called it "scientific gobbledygook," which is really a shockingly ignorant thing to say for someone who is supposed to be intelligent. The scientific gobbledygook in this case is mathematics. I wonder now that Romney's numbers have upticked whether Varney has changed his tune. This is the same thing going on with the antediluvian reaction to the unemployment numbers. When they are bad, they are on target, when they are good, it's fuzzy math.

Thanks to Rachel Maddow's blog, I've learned about the warriors against science on the House Science Committee. From the committee's web site, this is their jurisdiction: "The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has jurisdiction over all energy research, development, and demonstration, and projects therefor, and all federally owned or operated non-military energy laboratories; astronautical research and development, including resources, personnel, equipment, and facilities; civil aviation research and development; environmental research and development; marine research; commercial application of energy technology; National Institute of Standards and Technology, standardization of weights and measures and the metric system; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; National Science Foundation; National Weather Service; outer space, including exploration and control thereof; science scholarships; scientific research, development, and demonstration, and projects therefor. The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology shall review and study on a continuing basis laws, programs, and Government activities relating to non-military research and development."

Now take a look at some of their Republican members. Paul Broun of Georgia made a statement the other day that would be fine in a megachurch, but not in the halls of government: "God's word is true. I've come to understand that. All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the big bang theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell. And it's lies to try to keep me and all the folks who were taught that from understanding that they need a savior. You see, there are a lot of scientific data that I've found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young Earth. I don't believe that the earth's but about 9,000 years old. I believe it was created in six days as we know them. That's what the Bible says."

Also on the committee is Todd Akin of Missouri, who has his own interesting beliefs about human reproduction, believing that women who are raped can't get pregnant, and that doctors give abortions to women who aren't pregnant. Other committee members: Chairman Ralph Hall of Texas, who said of global warming: “I’m really more fearful of freezing. And I don’t have any science to prove that. But we have a lot of science that tells us they’re not basing it on real scientific facts.”

Let me quote Maddow Blog for others: "It's quite a panel. Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas), who drafted a resolution for Americans to 'join together in prayer to humbly seek fair weather conditions' after a series of destructive tornadoes and droughts, is also on the House Science Committee, as is Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), who suggested 'dinosaur flatulence' may have caused climate change 55 million years ago.

"They're joined by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), who has characterized climate science as an 'international conspiracy,' as well as Rep. Sandy Adams (R-Fla.), who supports having public-school science teachers offer lessons on "theories that contradict the theory of evolution."

"Remember, the House Republican leadership makes committee assignments, and felt these lawmakers are the best qualified members to serve on the committee related to science."

"When we talk about a "Republican War on Science," there's no reason to consider that hyperbole."

This would be funny except that these are the men who are responsible for things like renewable energy, global warming, NASA, and making sure that the U.S. does not fall further behind in the development of scientists.This, from Timesfreepress.com: "Among wealthy nations, the United States ranked 23rd in science and 31st in math in standardized tests. Our high-school seniors competed poorly in advanced math and physics. We rank 27th in college graduates with degrees in science and math." This is really disturbing. Could a country like this have defeated Germany in Japan in World War II?

What's sad about this is that science should not be a political hot potato. What, exactly, is it about global warming that offends the religious? Nothing, I should think. It offends the oil and gas industry, which puts money in the pockets of right-wing legislators.