# Kansas Redefines Science **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 8, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132 "2005-11-08T23:25:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/41 "2005-11-09T03:14:34Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > The more I think about this, the angrier I get. How do people like this get to keep their jobs? Their god is on their side. Unfortunately, their god is a very stupid god. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/42 "2005-11-09T03:19:00Z")
At this rate, people will have to start to home school their kids to make sure that God is left out of the lesson. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/43 "2005-11-09T03:22:57Z")
Meanwhile there’s like a gazillion elderly scientists over in Russia and Eastern Europe, who got their degrees back while Lysenko was in power, saying: _“Yes! YES! Go, Kansas! Please, let something else take over the role of international synonym for anti-science before I die!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/44 "2005-11-09T03:29:44Z")
I think we need a constitutional ammendment to protect the institution of science from all these freaks and wierdos who are trying to redefine it. ---
**Author:** ![LeeshaJoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LeeshaJoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeshaJoy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/45 "2005-11-09T03:33:31Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Oh yeah, well I live in Florida! Try to come up with anything stupid from… err, ahhh…never mind. > > Point taken, my apologies. Man, I’m from fuckin’ _Idaho._ It’d be like shooting fish in a barrel. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/46 "2005-11-09T03:33:56Z")
> [@braggingwrites](#): > > Oh you guys! Give em a break! They didn’t change much… they just reversed a couple of words: > > “the search for natural explanations of phenomena” > > to > > “the search for phenomenal explanations of nature” I have to say this made me burst out laughing. Please stick around, **braggingwrites**. Ignorance: 1, Kansas students: 0. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/47 "2005-11-09T03:35:43Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I think we need a constitutional ammendment to protect the institution of science from all these freaks and wierdos who are trying to redefine it. Actually, that’s a good point and I think we’re already covered. I don’t doubt for a minute that if and when this gets to the SCOTUS, the teaching of ID will be prohibited from public schools as a violation of the 1st amendment. I mean, there’s really only two choiced for who the designer is: either God, or space aliens. Are these guys going to say they’re teaching about space aliens? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/48 "2005-11-09T03:51:53Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Meanwhile there’s like a gazillion elderly scientists over in Russia and Eastern Europe, who got their degrees back while Lysenko was in power, saying: _“Yes! YES! Go, Kansas! Please, let something else take over the role of international synonym for anti-science before I die!”_ What do you want to bet that the people who passed this in Kansas have no idea what Lysenkoism is? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/49 "2005-11-09T03:55:23Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I mean, there’s really only two choiced for who the designer is: either God, or space aliens. Are these guys going to say they’re teaching about space aliens? Sure, totally ignore the possibility that our distant descendants get fed up with the crappy design of the human form, invent a time machine, travel back to the start of the Phanerozoic, and fix things so we have _proper_ tails, and presbyopia doesn’t set in until _at least_ one’s second hundred years of shuffling about on this mortal coil. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/50 "2005-11-09T04:00:19Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I’m sure if all of you would let me know _your_ locations, I could quickly come up with a list of stupidities for YOUR states. And you know what? When Illinois does something stupid (hint: search Google news for “illinois + corruption”) feel free to Pit it. Right now, Kansas has just done something insanely stupid it absolutely deserves this Pitting. I’m sorry, because you live there and you love Kansas, and none of us deserve to live in a place that does such stupid things. I hope you and any other Kansans reading this will take action and work to get this bit of ignorance reversed. Your state deserves better. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/51 "2005-11-09T04:07:31Z")
> [@George Kaplin](#): > > What the fuck is it with Kansas, anyway? :dubious: Fuck I dunno, that’s why I’m gonna get the hell outta here! :eek: :mad: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/52 "2005-11-09T04:08:47Z")
I think my sigline is especially appropriate to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/53 "2005-11-09T04:10:10Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > I think my sigline is especially appropriate to this thread. What – its absence indicating the absence of any intelligence in Kansas? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/54 "2005-11-09T04:14:58Z")
On a bit more consideration, what **Baker** said. I love my home state, but I feel torn right now. The asshattery going on lately especially makes me want to get away from here, go see what life is like in other states so I can get a better perspective and maybe appreciate Kansas warts and all. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/55 "2005-11-09T04:20:12Z")
Flunk 'em all, let Darwin sort 'em out. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/56 "2005-11-09T04:24:16Z")
> [@Zabali\_Clawbane](#): > > On a bit more consideration, what **Baker** said. I love my home state, but I feel torn right now. The asshattery going on lately especially makes me want to get away from here, go see what life is like in other states so I can get a better perspective and maybe appreciate Kansas warts and all. Well, you’re more than welcome to crash on my couch. I can show you places filled with people who look like they’re extras from _Deliverance_. :eek: Heck, I’ll even show you the Scopes Monkey Trial site, so you won’t feel so bad. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/57 "2005-11-09T04:26:47Z")
Q. How many Kansas school board members does it take to change a lightbulb? A. Six, to vote in the new definition; the other four voted to keep the old definition that excluded potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/58 "2005-11-09T04:37:41Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > And you know what? When Illinois does something stupid (hint: search Google news for “illinois + corruption”) feel free to Pit it. Right now, Kansas has just done something insanely stupid it absolutely deserves this Pitting. I’m sorry, because you live there and you love Kansas, and none of us deserve to live in a place that does such stupid things. I hope you and any other Kansans reading this will take action and work to get this bit of ignorance reversed. Your state deserves better. Then how about Pitting the people responsible, instead of this shit from the typical mental midgets on the SDMB: “Perhaps Kansas is simply destined to be stupid. Fuck 'em.” “I’m going to rewrite the definition of stupid to include the entire state of Kansas.” “I hate to say it, but maybe yeah. Might have to write these folks off.” Note there’s no limitation of scope or direct object in these. But I guess that’s fighting ignorance, huh. I expected better of the SDMB. Yeah, it’s a given that some of the fuckheads will make blanket statements to marginalize an entire population, but one would have hoped other smarter dopers would jump in to castigate that. Hey, what’s it called again when you look at the actions of a tiny minority and use that to negatively paint an entire population? It isn’t called “smart”… :rolleyes: I hope you and any other smart dopers reading this will take action and work to get this bit of ignorance reversed; this Board deserves better. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/59 "2005-11-09T04:38:42Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > What – its absence indicating the absence of any intelligence in Kansas? 😉 'swhat I get for perviewing. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132/60 "2005-11-09T04:46:14Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > 'swhat I get for perviewing. You’re a perviewert?!? :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kansas-redefines-science/330132.md?page=4)