Bob Park, author of the irreverent What’s New weekly newsletter from the American Physical Society, is soliciting suggestions for questions to ask Harriet Miers about her views on science.
1. SUPREME IRONY: SHOULD NOMINEES BE QUESTIONED ABOUT SCIENCE?
After nominating Harriet Miers for a seat on the Supreme Court, President Bush sought to reassure religious conservatives by stressing Miers’ evangelical Christian roots. Bush said it’s part of who she is. He’s right, but traditionally the personal religious views of nominees are not taken up in the confirmation process. If the First Amendment is upheld, it shouldn’t matter. So forget religion. Far more important in the Twenty-First Century is the nominee’s views on science. There are, after all, few cases that come before the courts today that do not have a scientific component. Scientists must construct a list of basic questions that would give some insight into the nominee’s views on science. For example: do all physical events result from earlier physical events, or can they be caused by clasping your hands, bowing your head, and wishing? Send your suggestions to What’s New. WN will print the best of them.
Suggestions can be sent to whatsnew@bobpark.org, although you’re welcome to leave them in the comments here as well.
In other news at the intersection of religion and politics, Eugene Volokh clears up a question that I know has been bugging me for quite some time. (Prompted by an actual complaint!)
For those curious about whether [a public high-school marching band] playing The Devil Went Down to Georgia would be an Establishment Clause violation, the answer is no; though some songs that mention God (or for that matter the Devil) may in some contexts be seen by a reasonable person as endorsements of religion, this song wouldn’t be.
I think it’s true that the Charlie Daniels song couldn’t reasonably be taken as an endorsement of Satanism. Because, you know, the Devil gets his ass kicked in that song. (Devil’s advocate here.)
It would also be exceptionally difficult for a band to play “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” since the verses are entirely spoken, not sung.
As a sign of my tragicness*, I can reveal that I know all the words to ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’. And La Bamba (although let me clear, as I don’t speak Spanish, it doesn’t sound convincing if I recount them).
*Not a word, but it ought to be.
I can’t help it?? but would she know how many billions of light years across the universe is, from her chair??? Would she be able to guess the number within two billion??
Would she care that scientific facts have an objective based reality unlike those facts from other non-scientific/mathematic academic disciplines??
Can she name anyone of the top 20 songs on the Billboard 100?
Could she discern the substantive difference between P2P software versus open source operating systems? Will it matter after the Fitzgerald indictments are made public??
My sense is she already knows a lot about “Dark Energy”
I’d be happy if Harriet could correctly state one of Newton’s laws.
A very similar NY Times Magazine cover story was printed on this topic a few weeks ago, by Jeffrey Rosen . . .