I noticed a link to this on the Dawkins website; it deserves a very wide audience.

It is a website from the Union of Concerned Scientists cataloguing US political interference in science.

Click HERE.

Great idea to have all this stuff summarized in a single place.

UCS

Doug:

The UCS is a questionable organization.  It has proven very wrong on the nuclear power plant issue.  While I support the UCS statement and have signed it I do not support UCS.  For most anti-nukes the issue is “religious” in the sense that most do not know the facts and hold unjustified false beliefs.

:D Wes

Well, I’m not necessarily endorsing everything that any particular organization stands for when I post about them favorably; that said, the UCS is generally on the right track on scientific issues.

And I don’t note anything about nuclear power in this list, at any rate.

Doug:

I understand that you are not endorsing them.  I am providing a warning.  As a long time nuclear power plant expert I find the scientific credibility of UCS to be questionable.  I suggest everyone be very skeptical about their positions.  Most people including humanists do not have the scientific and technical training to understand the issues taken up by USC. :( 

As we know a PhD does not make one an expert in any field other than one’s own and even then each specialty has its kooks (consider Francis Collins).  As a scientist I find that the UCS is usually not on the right track on scientific issues.  But I did not want to provoke a debate of USC policies.  A friendly warning about UCS. :D

:D Wes

Money

Doug:

Is there a subject in the forum about money, wealth, economics, and that sort of thing?

I know a number of folks are Libertarians who post in this forum.  But I have not seen a discussion of business ethics (oxymoron?).

Wes

Re: Money

[quote author=“wesmjohnson”]Is there a subject in the forum about money, wealth, economics, and that sort of thing?

Depending on the thrust of the posting, I suppose it might go in the “Politics” folder or the “General Discussion” folder ... these aren’t hard-and-fast rules.

BTW, if you do find issues with folks like the UCS, feel free to post about them and initiate discussion. Might be interesting. As I say, given a quick glance at the webpage I cited above, nothing stuck out at me as misconstrued ...

Thanks Doug!

The Devil is in the details.

:D Wes