The News and the Nuts

Ignorance and stupidity can kill. We've seen it on the highways where drunks stupidly get behind the wheel and kill thousands of people each year. After years of vaccines bringing deadly childhood diseases to near extinction, we have ignorant people telling mothers and fathers to not vaccinate their children because they are mistaken in their belief that vaccines cause autism. They don't, but the press gives these idiots a bigger voice than they deserve and that volume confuses people. We also see it with evolution. This is a scientific matter, not open to a vote or opinion. The evidence is bloody overwhelming, and yet nearly every time some ignorant creationist/I.D.iot decides to try introducing it into the school, the news (print, radio and T.V.) gives it "fair and balanced" treatment.

IF...Someone tried to get schools to teach that the earth was flat, or the center of the solar system the press would not bother with "fair and balanced", they would make it clear that scientists have a mountain of evidence to show it's spherical and orbits the sun, and there would be no nonsense. But with all the evidence that science has to support the theory of evolution, and the fact of evolution, the press plays the "teach the controversy" line like there was a controversy. There isn't. Not in science.

And now, the press has again done what it can to stir up fear where none need exist. The LHC (Large Hadron Collider) in Europe, went on line today. Protons were kicked up to near the speed of light (99.99999898% or 299,792,454.9 meters per second). Scientists have made it clear that they are not playing with the fate of the earth. No black holes will destroy our world, in fact, they can't even form.

So where is the harm in the "news" outlets making such a big deal. After all, they just want to sell papers. Tell that to Chayya, a 16 year old (and likely unstable) girl who was so sure that the world was going to end that she drank pesticide to beat the rush. Now so far as I know, this poor girl is the only one to do this, and that's a good thing, and also when you take into account the shear number of people who live on the planet, well, it clearly could be worse. But there is more.

People all over the world are afraid that very soon there will be no world to be all over. The press has played to the ignorant folk who insist that there is a danger, and people are running off to whatever works as a church for them, praying that their version of a god will protect the world. Seriously people, we need to tell these nuts, ignorant and stupid people to get an education and some understanding of science so we can see less of this crap.