Friday, October 31, 2008
Sarah Palin and the fruit fly controversy
When you start hearing criticism of Sarah Palin for her position on fruit flies, you know it's time for the election to be over--just so the liberals can have some time to chill and get some oxygen to their brains.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Admit it, Martin, you don't know what all the fuss is about. You know that Palin comes across as anti-science and anti-education (because she is - DUH!), but you don't really know why, do you?
Now, if Palin had shot her mouth off about some agrarian Eden, then maybe you'd be a bit more up in arms.
Maybe...
I love it when scientists appear on this blog claiming to be able to read my mind and then accuse me of being anti-scientific.
Do you do palm reading too?
Does your crystal ball give you the same reports as the media about Palin trying to impose creationism in Alaska schools that turn out to be blatant falsehoods?
Or do you just get this stuff straight from Andrew Sullivan?
Surely Mr Cothran posted this reference to Palin in order to emphasize the absurdity of Nature's editorial (in his next offering) which stated that both candidates appreciate science.
jah
Sarah thinks it is an awful waste for scientists to study the genetics of fruit flies to understand the genetics of disese. So instead of grinding up those silly fruit flies to get their huge chromosomes we can start grinding up fetuses. I'm sure she will have no problem with that... will she Martin?
Is anyone truly surprised that Palin disparages genetic research in a speech in which she claims the government ought to do more to help disabled children? Interested parties can read something about the research described here: http://scienceblogs.com/clock/2008/10/palin_autism_and_fruitflies_it.php
But don't blithely assume Ms Palin is against all research: http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=4E2E5BFD-18FE-70B2-A815903CFF648F68
"Palin, meanwhile, has requested $3.2 million to be spent in part researching the “genetics of harbor seals,” in one of the state’s many requests for federal funding of research into Alaska’s fauna."
All this might be expected given Ms Palin's background, but according to the L A Times, this much heralded soccer mom can't even keep her sports comments straight
""I am thrilled to be here in the home state of the world-champion Philadelphia Phillies," Palin said.
The crowd booed.
Philadelphia is a seven-hour drive from Erie, which is in the state's far west. Erie's baseball devotions are split between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cleveland Indians. (Pittsburgh and Cleveland are about two hours away.)"
jah
I see I have angered the fruit fly lobby. Where did I put the Black Flag...
Fruit flies are peoples too!
Mr. Cothran, your support of Sarah Palin undermines everything you have ever said about the importance of a quality, knowledge-based education.
Robert Fasso
Robert,
My chief purpose was not to "support" Sarah Palin, but to point out that many of the attacks on her were unfair and overenthusiastic.
Post a Comment