Shapiro's Stupid Science

It's difficult to debunk "stupid person rants" because they package stupid in easy to digest packets. A prime example of this is Ben Shapiro's "The Liberal War on Science", a Townhall.com article that takes truth and translates it into misguiding trash.

The garbage Mr. Shapiro decided to spew in this article is: "Why are liberals so ignorant of science?" Note the stupid person rant's simplification as Shapiro's misleading claims are explained.

Science shows that adolescents simply don’t have the brains to use condoms.

False. Dr. Douglas Kirby, a Senior Research Scientist at ETR Associates, says in Emerging Answers 2007 that 41 percent the studies surveyed on sex-ed programs found increased condom use among an entire sample or among one or more subgroups.

He tries to support his claim with the inaccurate statement: According to virtually all scientific studies concerning adolescent neural mechanisms, teens are biologically incapable of inhibiting risky behavior, citing an explanation of Ronald E. Dahl, MD, Staunton Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh’s Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic - out of context.


If he'd paid attention to the Doctor Dahl, he'd know that Dahl says one must look beyond biology and puberty to understand adolescent behavior. Dahl says, "Adolescence is not simply biological changes or brain changes. We also have to think of it in terms of social context."

Liberals say that we must assume that teenagers are logical, and that they will use discretion -- and condoms -- if told of the risks of unprotected sex.

First of all, notice that Shapiro won't name names. He targets "liberals" to help him set up his straw men. Those who advocate comprehensive sex education do so because it is more effective at delaying sexual initiation and reducing risky sexual behavior than abstinence only education or nothing at all. These programs do not hasten teens first sexual encounter, and they do not increase risky behavior. (Pages 105, 108, 111 of Emerging Answers)

Honestly, is Mr. Shapiro accidentally stupid or purposefully misleading?

Wintersunset is Stupid

I've made a lot of blogs, and most of them die. This one will likely follow suit. I made this one because I didn't want my comment about Wintersunset, a "Benevolent Member" of The Student Room, to be buried on page fifteen of the comment section under the aforementioned idiot's entry titled: why atheism is a stupid religion.

If you don't immediately understand why this benevolent member is stupid, you may request that your name be appended to the bottom of this list, under the heading "People as stupid as Wintersunset".

Wintersunset claims that intelligent design is a mathematical fact supported by the third law of thermodynamics, ignorantly believes that the Theory of Evolution lacks supporting evidence, and the shift button on Wintersunset's keyboard is perpetually broken.

Perhaps the "Exalted Member" Skoji put it best:



Oh, but the whole point of this was to dig up my comment:

"As a system approaches absolute zero, all processes cease and the entropy of the system approaches a minimum value."

-The Third Law of Thermodynamics


"The assertion that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause"

-Intelligent design


"Wintersunset"

- Evidence that humanity is not best explained by an intelligent cause.

There. I feel better. I can let this blog die now.

People as stupid as Wintersunset