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Have Some Respect For Your Scientific Minority

Posted by Book Club on March 5, 2007
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This YouTube video presents a rejoinder to creationists who believe that, regarding the question of whether human beings evolved or were created, personal opinion matters. The first few seconds seem to presage a talk-show style arguement-fest, but the presentation soon turns into a soothing pastiche of science-related imagery, culminating in amazing shots (or CGI?) of the Mars rover. The larger point is that “well, I believe…” statements pale in comparison to the tangible achievements of applied reason. But argument aside it bears enjoying as an aesthetic meditation on science and tech.

“Have a little respect for your scientific minority,” the video ends. “Without them you would still be freezing, starving, and dying of horrific diseases.”

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Comments

  1. #1 tfoot
    March 6, 2007

    its the 2nd movement of Beethoven’s 7th symph.

    nice review, thanks!

  2. #2 katherine sharpe
    March 6, 2007

    I wish I knew the music, too. It’s lovely! Anyone…?

  3. #3 christianhauck
    March 6, 2007

    The argument to justify the means by the end is flawed. It applies to applied technmology (and rightly so – at least for the time being, where we benefit from the positive aspects of globalized industrialization, whereas some negative aspects of 20th century industrymania have just been postponed to our grandgrandchildren), but not to “the scientific method”. And, unformtunately, many people swallow scientific facts like any other ideology, and just believe it. How do you know that the earth orbits around the sun, and not the other way around? “Because my teacher told me, and because I’ve seen a nice video on youtube…).”

  4. #4 Joe Shelby
    March 5, 2007

    I might have picked a different fertilization process from Haber-Bosch. The technique was also responsible for giving the German war machine in WW-1 the means to extend the war beyond their original stockpile of munitions built from imported nitrates from South America, then blockaded by the British Navy. Estimates were that they’d have run out of ammo within a year without the technique for making more within their borders.

  5. #5 Cecil
    March 5, 2007

    The shots of the Mars rover are, of course, CGI. They are taken from Daniel Maas’s stunning video “NIN to Mars“.

    I’ve watched that thing over 100 times and still get goosebumps every time.

  6. #6 JohnJB
    March 5, 2007

    I know that music (the Latin anthem about a minute in), but can’t name it or place it.
    Any help out there? It’s driving me crazy …