Bill Nye Boo'd In Texas For Saying The Moon Reflects The Sun

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   Stacie Lposted 11 years ago

   Bill Nye, the harmless children's edu-tainer known as "The Science Guy," managed to offend a select group of adults in Waco, Texas at a presentation, when he suggested that the moon does not emit light, but instead reflects the light of the sun.
   
   As even most elementary-school graduates know, the moon reflects the light of the sun but produces no light of its own.
   
   But don't tell that to the good people of Waco, who were "visibly angered by what some perceived as irreverence," according to the Waco Tribune.
   
   read more
   http://www.thinkatheist.com/profiles/bl … texas-for/
   Well, so much for science

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      Paul Wingertposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hate to tell the wackoes at Waco that there's no Santa or Easter Bunny.

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      pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Ooooo I didn't know that!
      
      Why do you think she said what she did as she left. What's it got to do with God? I must be missing something?

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      Chris Nealposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That happened six years ago! I'm a little embarrassed that I wasn't paying any closer attention to the dates than anybody else.
      
      The details are a little different that thinkatheist makes it out:
      
      http://www.examiner.com/article/reporte … ory-speaks

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      Titen-Sxullposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      This is an extremely old story, it goes back to 2009 if I believe. It's still ridiculous that anyone in 2009 could be upset at the ideas of basic science but then some fringe elements here in America are backwards in that way.

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   Aficionadaposted 11 years ago

   In 2006.  The comments on the article were dated 2009.
   
   My favorite comment was "that's taking literacy too far!"  I'm fairly certain the commenter meant literalism or literalness, not literacy.      !!!!!

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      Lisa HWposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      2006, 2009, 2012.  Makes no difference when literacy has gotten this far out of control.      There's no putting the genie back in that particular bottle.

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         Aficionadaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Literacy?????????????
         
         I would think that the one thing a writers' site would commend would be literacy.  I would think that scientists and thinkers of all types would be very close behind the writers in lauding literacy.
         
         As for the linked article, my suspicion is that there was a different issue at hand that caused the walk-out, but I would need to find an unbiased source to confirm or deny that suspicion.  Good luck in finding such a thing in 2012.

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            Lisa HWposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I was aiming to be funny there.  Apparently, I failed this time around.   

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               Aficionadaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               Red face. I should have guessed that!
               Apparently I'm having my own problems with literacy and literalism this afternoon.
               
               Sorry about that. So sorry!

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                  Lisa HWposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                       No red face necessary.  It's typing, which can be a challenge when it comes to attempts at humor.     (By the way, I should figure out how to do a red face one of these days.  I could find that comes in handy lots of time on here.   

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   Lisa HWposted 11 years ago

   I've been thinking the light thing is a given.  What I think he should have addressed is the green cheese thing.

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   Nell Roseposted 11 years ago

   What about the man in the moon?!

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      Lisa HWposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The Science Guy should have told those people he IS the man in the moon.  Maybe they would have been too scared of him to boo him.   

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   paradigmsearchposted 11 years ago

   They are going to go nuts when they find out about this...
   
   "The Moon's Peculiar Dust Gets More Peculiar Still"
   
   It's a tech, not humor, article.
   
   http://www.time.com/time/health/article … 43,00.html

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      Randy Godwinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Fascinating article and yes, it will probably tick off the ignorant. 
      
      

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         paradigmsearchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         That, or they'll start praying to it.

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            Randy Godwinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            They used to anyway, so what's the harm? 
            
            

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   Mighty Momposted 11 years ago

   To paraphrase Dean Martin and with apologies to anyone actually from Waco who knows the moon actually does reflect light from the sun.
   
   
   In Waco, T where science ain't king
   When boy meets girl here's what they say
   
   When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
   You're a MORON
   When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
   You're a MORON
   Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
   And you'll sing "Vita bella"
   Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
   Like a gay tarantella
   
   [Oh no -- I can't imagine "gay" anything going over with this radicalWaco crowd.Better change that to God fearin' or gun-totin' or something]
   
   When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool
   You're a MORON
   When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
   You're in love
   When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not
   Dreaming signore
   Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Waco,T
   You're a MORON
   
   Lucky fellas
   They do say ignorance is BLISS

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   Nell Roseposted 11 years ago

   Haha! Brilliant! an oscar for Mighty Mom!

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   SmartAndFunposted 11 years ago

   Ugghhhh. Please tell me this story isn't true. Waco is not all that far from where I am.

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      Pearldiverposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Don't Worry.... Criticism will only be forthcoming based entirely on your 'view' of the Moon!

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         Mighty Momposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         So if I only see a sliver does that mean less criticism than if I see a full moon?
         *fights instinct to post a "mooning" smilie here*

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      Aficionadaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      In the interview with Bill Nye that I read, the interviewer (filling in for Keith Olberman) mentioned Paris, not Waco - so maybe you're safe, depending on which direction from Waco and how far you are. - But I didn't follow the trail far enough to know which town was correct.
      
      Also, Bill Nye's version of the situation didn't sound quite as sensational as the internet stories of that brief event that happened six years ago.
      
      I guess the pertinent questions are:  (1) if the sensationalized story is repeated thousands of times on the internet, does that give it greater weight than the brief description made by the scientist in question?  (2) why would anyone allow themselves to get in a tizzy over something that 1-2 people did that long ago, when there are so many actual problems in the world today?

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      pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Heres a link from another thread that might help. Compliments of Chris Neal http://www.examiner.com/article/reporte … ory-speaks

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      Doc Sonicposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      No worries, the story doesn't appear to be true. At least not the way it's being reported. There was no booing, and out of a crowd of 600, a few people walked out. I don't think Texas is the only place you'll find a handful of religious fundamentalists among a crowd of 600 people. I live in Massachusetts, and we've got lots of 'em.

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         nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I live now in the dirty south. We have all of 'em.

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            Doc Sonicposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            'fraid not.

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               nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

               From Arizona to West Virginia and all points south, there's a church on almost every city and neighborhood block. If you don't believe me, drive south and you'll see a dramatic increase in churches and religious propaganda.

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                  recommend1posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Funny thing is that China is crawling with fundamentalist fools secretly trying to spread their stupidity to naive people and making up horror stories of repression and suppression - yet the churches that are prominent and have no restrictions to anyone worshipping inside them - are empty.

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                     nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     An open mind is, most often, the one to be rejected. You can't agree with one and deny the other, but you can't readily accept both. The atheist would say it is irrational and illogical, to accept both. The christian would say you were wrong and damn you to hell, for them, you have to be in full agreement with the doctrine. When they found the well had dried in Europe and an uneasy public revolted against certain forms of christianity,  they came to the America's. If theists run out of ears to assault and information to discredit, they latch then onto children, the only people too uneducated to resist. If that mode doesn't work, they find a new country and they start up with the chastizement and scare tactics their so well known for.

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                        Doc Sonicposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        OK, well, I'm sorry that my comment started this string of vitriol towards people with religious belifs. My only point was that the story wasn't being reported accurately, and it's a mistake to conclude that people from Waco are stupid based on an inaccurate story. No criticism of any religion was intended.

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                           nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           I was actually answering another persons comment, I believe it was recommend1. I don't have anything against the people, only what is being taught.

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                     Chris Nealposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Tells me that God is working through the people who are actually spreading His word, and not the people who try to subvert it.

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   Gypsy Willowposted 11 years ago

   If you only see a sliver it means someone's been eating it. It's made of cheese. every one knows that

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    Cheeky Girlposted 11 years ago

    Remember when the Earth was flat? Oh right, of course. It's round. Silly me.

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