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March for Science, Bill Nye, and constitutional government

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Bill MFS thumbnail From Mic, via AP:

You don’t need a scientific calculator to know that the March for Science was a massive success.

Stretching across the United States — as well as globally from the North Pole to New Zealand — the March for Science saw tens of thousands of people take to the streets on Earth Day in many cities, adding up to totals much higher nationwide.

Here are a few photos that begin to capture just how huge crowds nationwide became throughout the Earth Day celebration.More.

Actually, looking at the photos, as UD commenter Chris Haynes notes, the crowds are just not that impressive.

A number of foreseeable reasons come to mind, which makes one wonder about the impulse to hold marches (marchin’, marchin’) about problems that are mainly back at the desk, in the lab, and within decision-making bodies.

About the massive peer review mess, for example, only the peers can decide to do something, not the public—which supposedly “hates science” anyway.

And then there’s Bill Nye, telling CNN that if US policies

suppress science, if you pretend climate change isn’t a real problem, you will fall behind other countries that do invest in science, that do invest in basic research.”

Unless, of course, the US chooses to invest in something that pays off better, but never mind:

“And it is interesting to note, I think, that Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution refers to the progress of science and the useful arts,” he added. “Useful arts in 18th Century usage would be what we call engineering or city planning or architecture.”

Actually, it is commonly called the Copyright Clause:

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.

A copyright clause doesn’t compel the United States’ government to fund anything or require it to develop an opinion about the present or future value of specific “Writings and Discoveries.” It provides a basis for developing laws to protect any works of that type, as intellectual property.

Time will tell but this stuff still sounds so retro. Like Harvest Gold appliances.

See also: Bill Nye too “white” for March for Science figurehead

and

Bill Nye would criminalize dissent from human-caused global warming claims.

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Comments
In a dismal backhanded way, Nye is right. The patent system has mostly worked the same way peer review works, preventing real innovation and preserving monopolies. Both systems need to be abolished. Copyrights worked appropriately until Disney bought a new law in 1996. Now copyrights serve the same purpose as patents and peer review. Halt creativity, preserve monopoly.polistra
April 25, 2017
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I used to watch Nye as a kid. He was always entertaining, but I don't think that anyone took him seriously as a scientist.hammaspeikko
April 25, 2017
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Sadly, I believe "useful arts" would exclude Darwinism, even if it was perfectly correct.LocalMinimum
April 25, 2017
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Snipping a copyright clause out of context? Presuming that the party of Darwin etc have a monopoly on "Progress of Science and useful Arts"? And, what did "Science" mean to an educated person c September 17th 1787? KF PS: Webster's 1828:
Science SCI'ENCE, noun [Latin scientia, from scio, to know.] 1. In a general sense, knowledge, or certain knowledge; the comprehension or understanding of truth or facts by the mind. The science of God must be perfect. 2. In philosophy, a collection of the general principles or leading truths relating to any subject. Pure science as the mathematics, is built on self-evident truths; but the term science is also applied to other subjects founded on generally acknowledged truths, as metaphysics; or on experiment and observation, as chimistry and natural philosophy [--> now known as Physics]; or even to an assemblage of the general principles of an art, as the science of agriculture; the science of navigation. Arts relate to practice, as painting and sculpture. A principle in science is a rule in art. 3. Art derived from precepts or built on principles. Science perfects genius. 4. Any art or species of knowledge. No science doth make known the first principles on which it buildeth. 5. One of the seven liberal branches of knowledge, viz grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music. [Note - Authors have not always been careful to use the terms art and science with due discrimination and precision. Music is an art as well as a science In general, an art is that which depends on practice or performance, and science that which depends on abstract or speculative principles. The theory of music is a science; the practice of it an art.]
Whoops!kairosfocus
April 25, 2017
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High level atheist liberal scientist Bill Nye presents a video https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=Wllc5gSc-N8 One of the most pathetic things ever! Poor Bill is trying too hard...Eugen
April 24, 2017
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This is what PC science is about. The guy is your spokesfraud because he was on TV. A sad state of affairs, says the broken record. Andrewasauber
April 24, 2017
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Truth Will Set You Free at 1, Be glad he is not your lawyer. He does not seem to have any idea what various levels of legislation do.News
April 24, 2017
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Bill Nye is a fraud.Truth Will Set You Free
April 24, 2017
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