Scientific Illiteracy: Oh, the Irony!
Tuesday night, my amateur astronomer husband dragged me to what I thought was going to be a dull university lecture on astronomy or advanced cosmic theory and such.
As it turned out, the talk was given by an Astrophysicist, but the Astrophysicist in question is the incredibly entertaining Neil deGrasse Tyson (who you may know from Nova’s Science NOW, various Discovery Channel programs). And the topic wasn’t Astronomy, or even Astrophysics… it was something far more dear to my own heart: Scientific Literacy.
In the end, I was very glad I went - the lecture went on for an amazingly enjoyable 3 hours including the Q&A session, and covered everything from “why only people without physics backgrounds don’t wear seatbelts” to the Mars hoax, the war against evolution, killer asteroids, the hubris of insisting all of creation is centered around us, and why investments in science (and especially NASA) matter so darn much to our future as a nation.
But here’s the irony I promised you in the headline:
Behind us was seated a young 20 something fellow in a ball cap. He was one of those talkers, the sort that can’t resist a running commentary, talking to himself. So throughout the lecture, he’d make little innocuous but annoying statements about this or that… until Dr. Tyson spoke about the inspirational qualities of the Apollo program.
“Nothing has ever so inspired visions of the future as when we landed on the moon!” declared Dr. Tyson.
“.. as if we’d ever been there!” said Mr. Ballcap.
Seriously.
In the middle of Texas Hall, surrounded by what I’d guess was at least 1500 scientists, graduate students and undergrads, faculty members, planetarium supporters, amateur astronomers and.. well.. at least one blogger 
this kid declared his belief that the moon landings were a hoax.
Outloud.
During a lecture on the importance of Scientific Literacy.
(The irony really is overwhelming, isn’t it?)
Now, I’m not the confrontational type, but I admittedly had a *very* hard time not turning around and suggesting he speak up a bit louder, so the rest of the hall could benefit from his wisdom.
I do wish I’d had the wits to get in line for the Q&A, so that I could point him out to Dr. Tyson - and hopefully to his science professor who would hopefully deny him any extra credit he was trying to pick up by attending.
But for those of us seated around him, who did hear his statements (both then, and later during the mentions of Evolutionary theory), there could be no more poignant illustration of just how rampant illiteracy in science has become.
Except, perhaps, for that Walmart kid that thought the Sun went around the Earth…
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MindTweak: The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance — it is the illusion of knowledge. ~Daniel Boorstin
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I remember that blog you wrote when your hubby ran into those kids outside Walmart. I’m not sure I could’ve kept my mouth shut during the lecture. You are a strong woman!
QUOTE:”..why investments in science (and especially NASA) matter so darn much to our future as a nation…”ENDQUOTE
Yes. I wholeheartedly agree of the need to find NASA’s programmes. And for the EU to support the EU Space Agency’s efforts too.
And I do earnestly hope that researchers can find a way to shut up, acne-faced, baseball cap wearing 15yr old know-it-alls!
If funding is not available I can offer up my sizeable right fist as a test module that travels in a forward direction at a velocity from 15inches away approximating 200mph in forward mode, wielding the impact energy of thirty water-buffallo at full stride across the Serengeti plains to a predetermined bumfluffed chin or mouth full of orthodontic tekkie stuff with pinpoint accuracy.
Results on impact are undetermined but tranquility thereafter is assured.
Amen
errr I just spotted a typo! ‘find’ should read ‘fund’ NASA’s programmes.
Apologies. It was the visualisation of a fist impacting expensive bracework that caused the error!
MsWhiz, I don’t credit my strength of restraint, but that the environment didn’t really allow for audible confrontation - it would have amounted to starting a public row in the midst of a lecture no one wanted interrupted. But I *really* wish someone in our section had brought up the topic in the Q&A!
Robert, I’ve chosen to leave the typo because the visual in your apology amused me - Next time, don’t make it so fun and I’ll fix it
And what does bumfluffed mean? Do I even want to know?
Tori,
Bumfluffed means the impact is not cushioned at all!
By no means am I science techie type person. It was worth reading for the word “bumfluffed”.
Good day all!
Had to come back and make sure I was not being rude. It was worth reading even without “bumfluffed”.
Now I just feel silly. :-/ And am going to bed. Good night.
*giggles*
You’re never rude, Jackie! Always encouraging, you’re still my favorite cheerleader : )
And Robert, thanks ever so much for explaining bumfluffed. I feel enlightened, now!