Scientific American Gives Up

IvyMike writes "The April issue Scientific American opens with a Perspectives column titled Okay, We Give Up. It opens, 'For years, helpful letter writers told us to stick to science. They pointed out that science and politics don't mix. They said we should be more balanced in our presentation of such issues as creationism, missile defense and global warming. We resisted their advice and pretended not to be stung by the accusations that the magazine should be renamed Unscientific American, or Scientific Unamerican, or even Unscientific Unamerican. But spring is in the air, and all of nature is turning over a new leaf, so there's no better time to say: you were right, and we were wrong.'"

Nice.

[windex]

But they're still trying to make a buck charging for the article.

How American.

Now that's laziness

[Anonymous Coward]

We don't even get a full joke!

6 April fools jokes in a row makes this...

[Kewjoe]

wait for it. .. .. .. .. ..

unfunny

DUPRt

[Godwin O'Hitler]

http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/0 1/1359201&tid=99&tid=14 [slashdot.org]

April Fools Day...

[popo]

and everyone's a comedian

Scientific Unamerican?

[PocketPick]

There's gotta be a Fox News Joke somewhere in there.

Paris

[datadriven]

THEY need to hire Paris Hilton

Giggles.

[mpathetiq]

This one actually made me giggle like a little schoolgirl. Giggle with joy that they finally admit that creationism is a valid theory.*




*Parts of this statement may be false.

Scientific Amercian Gives Up

[Dorf on Perl]

Me too.

OMG

[lildogie]

They're changing their name to "Christian Scientific American."

Best Line in the article:

[wolfemi1]

Blame the scientists. They dazzled us with their fancy fossils, their radiocarbon dating and their tens of thousands of peer-reviewed journal articles.

I laughed out loud, even though I'm alone in the room. No joke.

It's nice to finally see some...

[spungo]

intelligent design in these spoofs.

What's good about living on the west coast?

[MrAnnoyanceToYou]

All you easterners have made all the necessary bad jokes for the day by the time I have my bagel. Thereafter, we know what's been done horribly and have the chance to either a: realize we're no-talent hacks and not try the stupid jokes, or b: make the same joke a second time in the same way that wasn't funny the first either.

Ain't it great?

Re:Creationism, Environment, etc.

[tobe]

Yup.. let's take everything we (the science guys) invented back from the religious nuts, ship ourselves out somewhere nice like Australia and let 'em just get on with it themselves.

Cure for blindess.. well.. we got one.. but we needed to borrow a few stem cells.. so you wont be wanting that one huh ?

CD players.. oops.. LASERS.. sorry.. based on theories (and remember.. they're only *theories*, right) which don't seem to involve God in the creation and maintenance of the universe.. so we'll have that back then.. ta..

Antibiotics.. hmm.. but if you got fatally ill then surely it's God's will.. and who are we to question his (intentional case) wishes..

You keep the chickens.. we'll go with the Alligators.. apparently they turn into chickens anyway if you leave them long enough...

Re:Creationism, Environment, etc.

[mrtroy]

With creationism snaking its way into science curriculums and environmental issues (e.g., global warming, ocean dead zones, etc.) being pretty much ignored in the good old USA, it's as good a time as any for scientists to say "aw, fuck it!"

Ummm...creationism belongs in science curriculums! Students should be presented with both sides. It should be up to them to decide if some magical evolutional THEORY is true, or if they believe the CORRECT historical accounts of talking snakes in gardens. I thought we were mature enough as a society to throw out such outrageous theories like creationism. If I had my way, the Pythagorean theorem would also not be taught!

And for global warming....what global warming!!! It is still cold in the winter! Burning millions of tons of fossil fuels daily couldn't impact our earth! It is large! Chunks of coal are small!

One day, our society will stop being so blatently ignorant and start looking at the TRUTH!

Re:Slashdot, please stop. Please.

[Xoro]

The object is not to fool you, pinhead, it's to present the fake articles produced by geeky news sites around the net.

Surely, user 22596, you know the drill by this time, yet every year the whiners turn out with their stumpy moralism about how April Fool's Day ought to be run.

Please spend one day a year without slashdot and allow those without your Protestant rectitude to see if they can't make some amusing bits from the raw materials provided by the stories.

Re:Nice.

[Anti Frozt]

That's fine. With the money I'm getting from selling my son, I can easily afford the subscription.

Re:They protest too much...

[SmallOak]

wow now thinking that evolution is correct is "liberal", this is how far donw we have gone.

Re:Sure it's a joke...

[EvilSuggestions]

We need to fix our educational system by covering all of these types of topics equally as well:

• The theory of the universe being composed of 4 elements, earth, fire, wind, and water needs to get equal time with this so called chemistry theory. I mean when's the chemistry theory going to stop adding elements to that silly periodic table of theirs. It's just further proof that they didn't get it right the first time!
• Heliocentrism is just a theory, just like geocentrism. In our astronomy classes, if we can't spend equal time discussing a universe that revolves around the earth, then we're just promoting one group's beliefs.
• Everywhere I've travelled the earth still looks basically flat to me, and I know quite a few people who support that theory. Geography classes are also just promoting a theory when they show kids a globe. There are holes in their theory too. For example, how can people stick to both sides of a round object? Wouldn't the people on the other side just fall off? It's very hypocritical to teach the round earth theory while denying the flat earth theory!

P.S. It's turtles all the way down.

Re:Creationism, Environment, etc.

[Jesus_666]

So, alligators have forked from dinosaurs? Maybe we can port the chicken-ness... You know, reverse-engineer feathers and stuff and patch it into the alligators' code. Maybe create a new "feathery" branch.

Just make sure you inplement fly() AFTER you have removed all references to eat_human().

Re:Giggles.

[lgw]

Ohhh, I *like* this argument. The Bible says faith is the same thing as proof, so my faith is proven true! Wowza, can't argue with logic like that.

Re:sigh

[justins]

I noticed, too, that the Clinton administration could do no wrong, whereas the Bush administration can do no right. In actuality, there is little, if any, difference between their policies.

I hope you're enjoying your vacation on Mars, or wherever the fuck it is you've been for the last few years.

Re:Sure it's a joke...

[lgw]

I can accept the eyeball as a bad day at the office, but there's no excuse for running a sewer through the playground!