This Is the Stupidest Anti-Science Bullshit of 2014

[G_j]

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/12/worst-science-denial-2014



2014 had its fair share of landmark scientific accomplishments: dramatic cuts to the cost of sequencing a genome; sweeping investigations of climate change impacts in the US; advances in private-sector space travel, and plenty more. But there was also no shortage of high-profile figures eager to publicly and shamelessly denounce well-established science—sometimes with serious consequences for public policy. So without further ado, the most egregious science denial of 2014:


Basically everything said by Donald Trump:

You can always count on The Donald to pull no punches. He got started early this year, when he pointed to freezing temperatures in parts of the country as evidence that "this very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bullshit has got to stop" and then told Fox News that the global warming "hoax" was merely the result of scientists "having a lot of fun."

<snip>

Republican Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas took his opposition to basic science straight to the source: The grant-writing archives of the National Science Foundation. In an unprecedented violation of the historic firewall between the lawmakers who set the NSF's budget and the top scientists who decide where to direct it, Smith's researchers pulled the files on at least 47 grants that they believed were not in the "public interest." Some of the biggest-ticket projects they took issue with related to climate change research; the committee apparently intended to single out these projects as examples of the NSF frittering money away on research that won't come back to benefit taxpayers. The investigation is ongoing, and the precedent it sets—that scientific research projects are only worthwhile if they directly benefit the American economy—is unsettling.

..more..

[Cleita]

1. K&R

[BlueJazz]

2. Republican Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas is in the 1 percent. (No, not THAT 1 %)

The 1 percent that is the stupidest ugly bags of water on the planet. If he left Texas, the average IQ of the state would jump up a few points.

[world wide wally]

3. Get ready for an all out assault on science over the next two years as the Republicans slash

budgets for anything scientific and purge scientific documents like the ones cited above. I just hope we can weather the storm so to speak.

Side note: every time I use the word "Repblican" I try to think of a derogatory term, but the word "republican" is the worst one I can think of. I know how degraded I would feel if someone called me a republican.

[True Blue Door]

4. Let's not forget the debacle in Australia.

They're really going through their own version of George W. Bush down there.

[countryjake]

5. a kick for science