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Scientific American's departing editor and the politicization of science

(reason.com)
499 points Bostonian | 3 comments | 18 Nov 24 22:04 UTC | HN request time: 0.605s | source
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favorited ◴[19 Nov 24 00:00 UTC] No.42178638[source]▶
> For example, did you know that "Denial of Evolution Is a Form of White Supremacy"?

Yes, because I read Inherit the Wind in middle school.

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anonymousiam ◴[19 Nov 24 00:35 UTC] No.42178918[source]▶
Ugh. I'm sorry, but could you please explain yourself? I also read Inherit the Wind in middle school, and my understanding is that it fictionalized the (true) story of the "Scopes/Monkey Trial", which was an ideological conflict between science and religion. It's been over 50 years, and maybe I'm so pure that I disregarded any racial context, but I don't remember any.

How does "White Supremacy" come into the story, or the denial of evolution as a whole?

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IvyMike ◴[19 Nov 24 01:10 UTC] No.42179140[source]▶
As a whole?

White supremacists hate the idea that they could have had non-white ancestors. Belief in a white Adam & Eve is much more in line with their world view. Non-whites were created by "the Curse of Ham". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_Ham

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1. leereeves ◴[19 Nov 24 02:24 UTC] No.42179536[source]▶
Surely you understand the difference between "Some X believe Y" and "Y is a form of X". Examples of the former pattern do not prove the latter.

Even if we correct the logic here, and change the conclusion to something like "All people who dismiss evolution are white supremacists", that would still be disproven by counterexamples, like the many non-white people who don't believe in evolution.

"Acceptance of evolution was lower [than in the US] in ... Singapore (59%), India (56%), Brazil (54%), and Malaysia (43%)"

https://ncse.ngo/acceptance-evolution-twenty-countries

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2. IvyMike ◴[19 Nov 24 02:45 UTC] No.42179638[source]▶
I just gave a connection white supremacy and evolution denial, not trying to prove any absolutes. Everything you are saying seemed kinda obvious and thus I didn't mention it.
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3. leereeves ◴[19 Nov 24 03:03 UTC] No.42179726[source]▶
I apologize if I misunderstood. I thought your comment was related to the statement being discussed in this chain. ("Denial of Evolution Is a Form of White Supremacy")