What's New Friday February 22, 2008

WHAT’S NEW   Robert L. Park   Friday, 22 Feb 08,   Washington, DC

1.  EVOLUTION IN FLORIDA: THANK GOD IT’S ONLY A THEORY.
In approving new science standards, the state education board in Florida 
has for the first time ever used the word "evolution."  That’s a huge step 
forward.  At the last minute, Southern Baptists on the board insisted 
that "evolution" be changed to "the scientific theory of evolution."  
That’s even better.  Evolution is, after all, "only a theory," as is all 
of science.   Florida teachers can now cite state standards as 
justification for teaching that science, unlike religion, is open to 
change as better information becomes available.

2. ANTISATELLITE WEAPONS: THE HYDRAZINE DECEPTION.
What do you do when a newly-emergent space power shows off its new anti-
satellite capability, as China did last year?  Well, you have to show that 
you too can shoot down a satellite.  It’s relatively easy - satellites 
aren’t evasive and they keep doing the same thing over and over.  To avoid 
violating treaties, you could sell it as a mission to save innocent lives 
from a rampaging tank of hydrazine.  "If you inhale a lot of it, it could 
be deadly," said the general in charge. The same is probably true of 
acetone, absinthe and toilet bowl cleaner to name a few.  Anyway, the Navy 
did its part well.  Unfortunately, as other countries flex their muscles 
in space it could be open season on dead school buses (there’s a lot of 
them).  

3. GUNS: HAVE WE DECIDED TO GIVE UP ON CIVILIZATION?
Last week WN called for control of guns.  Between 8 and 9 PM that evening 
I got one e-mail after another, perhaps organized, explaining that the 
solution is to arm all the students and teachers so no one would dare 
start something.  They weren’t joking.  I note only that the shooters all 
ended up shooting themselves.  You can’t frighten suicide bombers.  

4. VALENTINES DAY MASSACRE: WHO MURDERED COMPETES?
In today’s Science, Jeff Mervis describes a House Science Committee 
hearing held on Valentines Day.  The purpose was to compare the 2009 
budget request with the goals laid out in the America COMPETES Act, passed 
overwhelmingly by Congress last summer and signed by the President.  The 
2008 science budget, however, turned out to be a disaster for science 
http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN07/wn122807.html .  It bears no trace of 
America COMPETES, and 2009 seems no different.   The White House appears 
to attach little importance to the science authorization process, since it 
picked Jack Marburger, the invisible science advisor, to make the 
administration case for science. 

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.
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