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Bill Nye Disses "Regular" Software Writers' Science Knowledge

Posted by timothy on from the line-in-the-sand dept.

conoviator writes Bill Nye, one of the foremost science educators in the United States states that only the upper crust members of American science and technology (with degrees from top tier schools) understand science, particularly climate change. He opines that "regular software writers" dwell in the realm of the semi-science-literate. Nye rates science education in the U.S. an F. ("But if it makes you feel any better, you can say a B-minus.")

2 of 681 comments (clear)

  1. What he really said by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Interesting

    He wasn't singling-out software writers (ie, programmers) in the interview. To summarize what he actually said:

    "Scientists in America are really good, but average people need to understand science, too. Average people, including programmers."

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  2. Re:Horribly misleading summary by The+Rizz · · Score: 4, Interesting

    That's funny - I removed your Google Search's wsj.com requirement and the next several results were all rebuttals from much more trustworthy sources.

    Let's summarize:

    • WSJ is a not a secience journal, but a financial paper with a pro-big-business focus. Also, it's owned by Rupert "Fox News" Murdoch.
    • The linked article is written by two of the largest climate-deniers out there, Joseph Bast (effectively owned by the Koch bros., and known as a bastion of anti-science FUD, such as his claiming that there's no proof smoking is bad for you) and by an employee of his, Roy Spencer.
    • Their rebuttals of the 97% figure as a "myth" are based on using figures from all science fields. The 97% figure is based on asking only those in climatology fields. (This is akin to deciding that a poll asking football players who the best football coach is can't be trusted because they didn't ask hockey players as well. I mean, they're all sports people, so their opinions on other sports should carry the same weight as those actually involved in that sport, right?)