The monkeys aren't too thrilled about you either

[KaskadskyjKozak]

my beef is that the creationist/id club isn't using standardized tactics (peer-reviewed science) to get their message in schools. having spent the last decade training to be a scientist this really raises my hackles. i don't know if science has just done a really poor job educating the public on how these methods work or whether the public is just swayed by anything that sounds remotely scientific.

 

As someone mentioned, the state of science education is pretty piss-poor. Biology is about the most accessible of the three branches (the other being chemistry and physics), but even it seems to be difficult for people to grasp, or be interested in. I worked in Biotech for 8 years, and I long ago gave up trying to explain to people what exactly I did (data management software for R&D projects, LIMS systems, and gene expression analysis software).

 

but then i live in a state where our congressman is of the opinion that global warming is not influencing the arctic...this after he was given a peer-reviewed report from top arctic climatologists. so what do i know

 

There is a lot of junk science and bias in the whole global warming debate. It makes it very difficult to know exactly what the whole truth is. I definitely favor more solid research in climate studies.

[bDubyaH]

There is a lot of junk science and bias in the whole global warming debate. It makes it very difficult to know exactly what the whole truth is. I definitely favor more solid research in climate studies.

 

 

this was a bit of my response to a flipant comment by our congressman "I don't believe it is our fault. That's an opinion," Young said. "It's as sound as any scientist's."

said about a report from this group. The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment was commissioned by the Arctic Council, an international commission representing eight countries, including the United States, and six indigenous groups. About 300 scientists participated, with scientists from Alaska playing a major part.

 

this is an international group providing overwhelming evidence that humans are influencing the arctic enviro (making it warmer) and he thinks his opinion carries as much weight. this is the same sort of thing that is going on with the whole creationist/id thing (to try and get this back OT). opinions are taking the place of science.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

this is an international group providing overwhelming evidence that humans are influencing the arctic enviro (making it warmer) and he thinks his opinion carries as much weight. this is the same sort of thing that is going on with the whole creationist/id thing (to try and get this back OT). opinions are taking the place of science.

 

I don't want to get into too much thread drift here... some people start to get mad...

[Fairweather]

Every once in a while you pull your head out of your ass and say something intellegent Fairweather.

 

I think that evolution is what you want to teach in a science class in school...because it's a science class. This doesn't mean that you can't also believe that god created the universe/earth/us. Unfortunatly there are so many vocal freaky christians out there who want to push their literal interpretation of as science. In the long run it will hurt us as a country. Science literacy is poor enough right now, and our economy and jobs depend more and more on having an educated population. You can't have an educated population if people don't know the difference between science and religious belief.

 

Now as for this car thing. I just bought a chevy with a duramax diesel engine. The engine is the same as the diesel engine in my Isuzu FRR. Nowadays the auto industry is more and more a trans national business. It's kind of silly to argue the jap vs american car thing anymore.

 

I drive a Toyota. It was final-assembled in Ohio. I know this because that is what that white sticker inside the door tells me.

 

Last I read, Saturn autos were the only "almost all American-made" cars on the road. The tires and wiper-blades being the exception. This may no longer be true.

 

Subaru's are still pieces of shit, IMO.

[scott_harpell]

aluminum block.

[iain]

I hear that Tacoma production is being moved to Mexico from the USA if it has not already.

 

I agree that Subarus are overpriced and also consume a surprising amount of gas (the new ones). They seem to rev high at cruising speeds, maybe that's where the gas goes. They seem to have a lot of happy owners though, so there's something there. I've always liked the frameless doors.

 

They have yet to produce a functional cup holder.

[Fairweather]

I'm considering a Honda Element, but they aren't very....uh, manly. None the less, they seem a good compromise between fuel consumption and interior room.

[Camilo]

Honda's coming out with a big ugly pickup, Avalanche style. Gross.

 

[scott_harpell]

The more new cars I see out, the more I like my truck. It gets better gas mileage than the new subarus and it was born on the same month and year I was.

[Dru]

I'm considering a Honda Element, but they aren't very....uh, manly. None the less, they seem a good compromise between fuel consumption and interior room.

 

wait a year and get the well-named nissan cube instead!

[Dave_Schuldt]

So I see this thread has drifted a bit...

In my 10th grade biology class we were made aware of creationisum. We were also taught that evolution was a theriory. So I don't see what the big deal is.

[JayB]

Since we are drifting - anyone seen the new 05 Tacos?

 

They added quite a few useful features but just killed the clearance. I was planning to put a new engine in my truck when the original engine dies (still going strong at 160,000 miles) anyway, but this more or less sealed the deal.

[foraker]

One final humorous note