The Ignobility of Ignorance

I thought Ariel Gonzalez summed it up pretty well:

For the past year, Andrew Sullivan has kept a running tally of Palin’s numerous prevarications. Clearly the woman has a problem. But a reader of Sullivan’s blog suggested that many Christian fundamentalists are untroubled by her cognitive dissonance because they live in a state of constant denial themselves, about evolution, homosexuality, torture, etc. And as Purdum observed, Palin’s lack of intellect wins her praise from right-wing Republicans, who listen daily to the wisdom and profundity of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity. In fact, all this talk by Limbaugh and Co. of principles is one reason why Palin may have a shot at the nomination in 2012. Anybody can espouse principles; policies require brains. So when you hear them go on ad nauseum (I mean you, Sean, you’ve really got to see somebody about that ideological Turette’s) about principles, it’s because they have no substantive ideas to propose. But liberals and independents must not let down their guard. Palin’s resignation does not mean she’s out of the picture. John McCain’s unforgivably reckless act of choosing her for a running mate gave her one-hundred-percent name recognition, an invaluable commodity in politics. We must remind the public why that name should never be preceded by any title other than governor.

Anti-intellectualism is a real problem for this country. Glorification of “gut instinct” and “natural talent” tells kid that education doesn’t matter.

Unfortunately, a lot of those pushing anti-intellectualism want nothing more than an ignorant and malleable public. If you are uneducated, you will be unable to accurately evaluate what you are being told. What you don’t know will hurt you.

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Be A Research Scientist.

Natural Column, Washakie Bad Lands / T. H. O'Sullivan, phot. (1872) Plate 38 from: Geological exploration of the fortieth parallel / U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers ; Clarence King, geologist in charge.

PZ Myers points us to a geology blog, All of My Faults Are Stress Related. I’m glad I clicked through to take a look.

I have always thought that if I had had the least little bit of aptitude for hard science, I would have been a geologist. I love rocks.

I also think that treating the planet like a hotel room that you trash during an overnight stay is guaranteed to end in tears. The human race is going to wake up one morning and discover that they were too drunk to realize they weren’t in a hotel but had trashed their own house and there is no one around with a couch they can crash on.

You can help monitor the damage your crazy relatives are doing to the house you share and potentially help stop the drunken rampage and perhaps make a start at fixing that growing hole in the roof.

Arizona saguaro will be one of the species looked at by USA-NPN volunteers. Photo: Bob Szaro, USGS

All of My Faults Are Stress Related points us to these people:

The USA-National Phenology Network (USA-NPN), a consortium of government, academic and citizen-scientists, is launching a new national program built on volunteer observations of flowering, fruiting and other seasonal events. Scientists and resource managers will use these observations to track effects of climate change on the Earth’s life-support systems.

“This program is designed for people interested in participating in climate change science, not just reading about it,” said USA-NPN Executive Director and U.S. Geological Survey scientist Jake Weltzin. “We encourage everyone to visit the USA National Phenology Network Web site and then go outside and observe the marvelous cycles of plant and animal life.”

As I read the information on the USA-NPN site, and about this program, I thought, “This is too good to be true, there must be a catch,” but, no, the consortium appears to consist of — are you sitting down? — actual scientists. It’s not a front for self-serving corporatists. Not a single corporation on their board of directors or even among their sponsors (that I can see at least).

This seems like a great thing for people to do with their children or teachers to do with their students. The tasks are educational in a multiplicity of ways and you will be making a significant contribution to our understanding of how things work.

This is what being a volunteer observer involves:

First identify the site(s) where the plant(s) you will observe are located, perhaps your front or back yard. Then select the plant species you will observe from the USA-NPN plant list, and identify one or more individuals of each species to monitor. If possible, choose a USA-NPN calibration species for monitoring in addition to any others you’d like to observe. Don’t forget to mark your plants to ensure you are observing the same individuals at each visit. More…

Learn the phenophases for your plants and begin making observations. Check your selected plants’ profile page to determine which phenophases you should be observing, and for instructions on how to recognize them. Observe your plants as often as possible, ideally at least once a week. Record your observations on the appropriate datasheet (located at the top of the species page). More…

One very cool thing about this project is that once enough data is being collected, there will be “real-time phenology visualizations” — you will be able to see the results of the collective observations.

Yes, you too can be a research scientist, right in your own back yard!

UPDATE: I’m signing up myself and guess what! You add your name to a list to get a cloned lilac to plant and observe!

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Continuing Education

Tilden's "Wolf at the door, gaunt and hungry" - Don't let him in / Thomas Nast. Children trying to keep wolf, with collar "Democrat", and tag, "foreign Roman church," out of door with sign "The public-school system is the bulwark of the American republic and for its security the application of public funds to sectarian purposes should be forbidden - Republican declaration". Illus. in: Harper's weekly, v. 20, no. 1029 (1876 Sept. 16)

(McClatchy) Experts say that the next piece of collateral damage from the recession could be a spike in crime, as rising unemployment and widespread law-enforcement budget cuts begin to take their toll.

I guess boning up on one’s lock-picking skills puts one right in there with the trend.

American businesses are certainly gearing up to supply those who might be so inclined.

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Claiborne Pell.

Former U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell, who was largely responsible for the Pell grant program for U.S. college students, died Thursday morning at his Rhode Island home.

Pell’s great passion lay in education and the arts and humanities, believing that the country’s people were its greatest asset. Largely through his efforts, Congress created Pell grants, which are need-based awards to low-income undergraduate and certain other students, in 1973.

He also was the main sponsor of the bill creating the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“The strength of the United States is not the gold at Fort Knox or the weapons of mass destruction that we have, but the sum total of the education and the character of our people,” he once said.

Describing his job as a senator, Pell said his work was to “translate ideas into actions and help people.”

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St. Columbanus School, Chicago, Illinois

President-Elect Obama Greets Children at St. Columbanus School in Chicago, IL

“As [President-Elect Obama
and his family] finished
handing out the chickens, Obama turned and looked up
at the windows of St. Columbanus School where the pre-K through 8th graders were furiously waving and screaming from their second- and third-floor windows, their screams barely audible through the closed windows.”

(Photograph courtesy of Reuters/John Gress)

He decided to pay them a special Thanksgiving visit. The school’s 300 students assembled eagerly in the auditorium.

“The enthusiasm was off the charts as Obama entered the room and attempted to shake hands with the children as young as five and pre-Kindergarten. Some grabbed onto his leather jacket sleeves and would not let go, trying to climb up in his arms.”

Obama took two questions from the kids. One asked what it was like to be president. “I’m not the president yet … once I’m president I’ll let you know what it’s like,” he said. Another asked what it was like to have so many people following him. After expressing his appreciation for the members of the Secret Service, and the press, who accompany him everywhere, “he and Michelle jokingly asked members of the Secret Service to identify themselves by raising their hands. They did not.”

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Malia Obama Makes History.

Sasha & Malia Obama

*
President-Elect Barack Obama and his wife Michelle gave an interview to Barbara Walters that is airing tonight (11/26/08) at 10 pm. In a portion of the interview, Obama tells Walters that his 10-year-old daughter Malia “has already called dibs on using Abraham Lincoln’s desk for her homework.”

(Photo by Jim Young/Reuters/Landov)

Obama describes Malia as saying, “Well you know how sometimes I have these, you know, big papers that I have to write? If I’ve got an important paper, a history paper, I think I’m going to go in that room where Abraham Lincoln, where there’s that thing where he signed it?” And he asking, in response, “You mean the Gettysburg Address?” Whereupon she tells him, “Yeah. I’m going to sit at that desk because I’m thinking that will inspire big thoughts.”

Malia and her sister Sasha are going to be great role models for children in this country.

I think we’re overdue for a big attitude change when it comes to learning and education. There’s entirely too much sneering at “book learning.” For the first time in this country’s history, let’s make learning “cool,” as the kids say.

On this Thanksgiving, I want to extend a warm thank you to all our hardworking teachers, from kindergarten to post-graduate. Your efforts in passing on and furthering knowledge are appreciated by more people than you probably imagine.

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