Teaching bad science

Spring Break has started at my college. Because of my schedule I have 12 days before I'm back in the classroom. So it is time to do a few necessary tasks. Taxes is one of them.

Another was to snake out a couple slow drains, one in the bathroom, the other in the kitchen. They were to the point where drain cleaners help, but only a bit. The actual process isn't all that difficult since my plumbing has fasteners that can be turned by hand. Even so, it is awkward (sitting on the floor in front of a cupboard isn't my best position) and messy. But doing it myself is a lot cheaper than having a plumber do it.

The kitchen drain is back together and doing well. After I finished I ran the dishwasher without getting a flood. Alas, I have a problem with the bathroom drain. The fastener won't go on straight. This one is just after the trap, so one pipe makes a bend just above the joint and the other just below. I'm not sure if that is what is causing the problem. I know that no matter what I've been able to do by the time I give the fastener a half-turn it is crooked. And if I tighten it anyway it leaks. I called the guy who installed the bathroom three years ago (he's also done lots of other work around the house), but no call back yet.

For a while I can use the second sink in the bathroom. It has been a long time since I used it. Why clean two sinks? But if I use it for very long I'll have to snake the drain.



Ryan Anderson, one of the drivers behind the current flurry of "religious freedom" (license to discriminate) laws, revealed something in his Twitter stream. At one time lots of people defended racism and slavery as being mandated by their religion. Today, Anderson says racism is wrong. But his statements show that he doesn't see anti-gay discrimination as wrong. Meaning he isn't for religious freedom. He is for his religious freedom.



Yesterday I listed several states dealing with license to discriminate laws. I may not have been correct with the status of each of those laws. Some of them, in addition to the new one in Missouri, might still be in play. But the spectacle in Arizona certainly took the wind out of several sails, enough of them that Jim Burroway of Box Turtle Bulletin thinks Arizona was a turning point.

His commenters aren't so convinced. They note the bill in Idaho was withdrawn until they "find the right language." And if this concept doesn't work the Fundies and conservative will find other ways to nibble at our heels or look for another target.



Speaking of nibbling…

Gabrielle Jonas of Newsweek reviews how most school textbooks in America come to be -- they are reviewed by the Texas Board of Education and if there are objections (including from church and industry people), the book is revised. And since Texas is the biggest (and loudest) market they control what is in textbooks for the entire country. The latest efforts in Texas:

* Nibble away at evolution by pushing doubts of the theory and of science in general.

* Nibble away at the science of global climate change by again pushing doubts.

Yes, there is a constitutional protection against teaching religion in public schools. But there isn't any protection against teaching bad science.