From the "just because they have a Ph.D. doesn't mean they should be listened to..." file
From Wesley Smith, this morning I'm reading a story about - get this! - a scientist at UT Arlington who gave a "Doomsday Talk" at the 2006 Texas Academy of Science (I've volunteered for this organization previously, back when I was an undergrad in San Antonio) conference.
What's so big about this? Well, to start with, he dismissed the idea of anthropocentrism, the idea that man has a special quality or place in the world. Okay, no biggie. A good three-quarters of my professors probably feel the same way, or think they do. But... he espoused the idea that man is very bad for the environment and for Earth, that ~90% of the population should be disposed of, hopefully by an airborn Ebola-variant in order to bring us into check.
Still saying "so what?" Yeah, there may be a few utterly evil individuals out there that would be excited by the prospect of 5 billion people dying a most agonizing death of Ebola infection. (You know, where blood oozes from all of your orifaces and membranes, eventually destroying your internal organs among other things...) But why get worked up over a little talk?
I guess the kicker is that this scientist - Dr. Pianka - received a standing ovation from his professional scientist peers in the Texas Academy of Scientists after the talk, and then hours later accepted the 2006 Distinguished Texas Scientist award from the Academy. Sounds like a pretty big honor to me.
It's all the more interesting when you read that:
Yeah... wouldn't want the non-Ph.D. general public to catch wind of your wish to have 90% of them dead, you know what I mean?
You gotta read the rest...
Fundamentalism is bad. Fundamentalist theocracies such as the corrupt Catholic Church of the pre-Reformation, fundamentalist athiest states like communist China or U.S.S.R., and here we see fundamentalist positivism and naturalism fitting right in with their ideological brethren. Fundamentalism invariably places sole emphasis and value on the ends, completely ignoring the means. Don't want a child? Abort it! Don't want dissenting citizens? Hang them! Think human beings are wasteful? Kill 5 billion of them by releasing a specialized Ebola virus! It's in the name of the cause; ergo, it's not just a good idea, it's your duty!
What's so big about this? Well, to start with, he dismissed the idea of anthropocentrism, the idea that man has a special quality or place in the world. Okay, no biggie. A good three-quarters of my professors probably feel the same way, or think they do. But... he espoused the idea that man is very bad for the environment and for Earth, that ~90% of the population should be disposed of, hopefully by an airborn Ebola-variant in order to bring us into check.
Still saying "so what?" Yeah, there may be a few utterly evil individuals out there that would be excited by the prospect of 5 billion people dying a most agonizing death of Ebola infection. (You know, where blood oozes from all of your orifaces and membranes, eventually destroying your internal organs among other things...) But why get worked up over a little talk?
I guess the kicker is that this scientist - Dr. Pianka - received a standing ovation from his professional scientist peers in the Texas Academy of Scientists after the talk, and then hours later accepted the 2006 Distinguished Texas Scientist award from the Academy. Sounds like a pretty big honor to me.
It's all the more interesting when you read that:
Something curious occurred a minute before Pianka began speaking. An official of the Academy approached a video camera operator at the front of the auditorium and engaged him in animated conversation. The camera operator did not look pleased as he pointed the lens of the big camera to the ceiling and slowly walked away.
Yeah... wouldn't want the non-Ph.D. general public to catch wind of your wish to have 90% of them dead, you know what I mean?
You gotta read the rest...
Fundamentalism is bad. Fundamentalist theocracies such as the corrupt Catholic Church of the pre-Reformation, fundamentalist athiest states like communist China or U.S.S.R., and here we see fundamentalist positivism and naturalism fitting right in with their ideological brethren. Fundamentalism invariably places sole emphasis and value on the ends, completely ignoring the means. Don't want a child? Abort it! Don't want dissenting citizens? Hang them! Think human beings are wasteful? Kill 5 billion of them by releasing a specialized Ebola virus! It's in the name of the cause; ergo, it's not just a good idea, it's your duty!
Comments
So, what do we know from this? This guy likes The Matrix a little too much? :D