Bill Nye Bood in Texas for Saying The Moon Reflects the Sun's light

[sigmapi1501]

http://www.thinkatheist.com/profiles/blogs/bill-nye-bood-in-texas-for/

C'mon.  The crowd was mad because he said the moon doesn't produce it's own light (it doesn't)
The crowd didn't like that he made this statement because in their hillbilly minds it goes against Genesis 1:16

[falcon9]

http://www.thinkatheist.com/profiles/blogs/bill-nye-bood-in-texas-for/

C'mon.  The crowd was mad because he said the moon doesn't produce it's own light (it doesn't)
The crowd didn't like that he made this statement because in thei hillbilly minds it goes against Genesis 1:16

Remember that Ron White, (who is from the south), said "you can't fix stupid"; a sublime observation, (since ignorance is at least theoretically-fixable).

[alaric99x]

I wouldn't want to fix this kind of stupidity, it's a magnificently perfect kind of stupidity that just too entertaining to fix.  Bill Nye should consider himself lucky, a thousand years ago he would have been burned for heresy.

My saying is, "Never underestimate the power of human stupidity."

[falcon9]

I wouldn't want to fix this kind of stupidity, it's a magnificently perfect kind of stupidity that just too entertaining to fix.  Bill Nye should consider himself lucky, a thousand years ago he would have been burned for heresy.

My saying is, "Never underestimate the power of human stupidity."

Einstein had a pithy saying too; "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
-- Albert Einstein

My favorite saying as it applies to others is a russian one; "Nichevo".

[alaric99x]

Nichevo = nothing

My wife is Russki, born and raised in Minsk.  I only know about 20 words in that language, but she's always available to translate the rest.

Bolshoi spacebo, da svedania.

[falcon9]

Nichevo = nothing

My wife is Russki, born and raised in Minsk.  I only know about 20 words in that language, but she's always available to translate the rest.

Bolshoi spacebo, da svedania.

Excellent.  I'd heard a more colloquial slang usage from someone hailing out of Smolensk which can be variously & roughly translated as "nothing", "doesn't matter" or, "nothing to be done", (the one she'd used was "doesn't matter").  Most of the other russian words I'm aware are profanities.  Nichevo was used as a toast when I'd first heard it and asked.

[Falconer02]

Yeah I remember hearing about this a while back. How could any decent human being boo such a great icon? The guy worked with Doc Brown at one point!

The world is a sad sad place sometimes. Respect for the science guy.

[mh874892]

So believing in God makes you a hillbilly? Sweet. I'll add that to my list. Anyway, all of us Texans aren't so extreme in our beliefs. In my interpretation, the moon is a lesser light because light is lost in the reflection process. Therefore, God and science are both accurate. The lady may have been slightly skewed in her beliefs, but at least she stood up for herself by storming out. It was ill conceived and made her look stupid, but at least she had the nerve to do it. On a side note, I saw a Bill Nye lecture a few months back and it was amazing. I still miss the show!

[sigmapi1501]

I didn't say believing in God makes you a hillbilly. I said living in Texas makes you a hillbilly.  Standing up for what you believe in is NOT always commendable. What if you believe in racism or sexism? Is standing up for what you believe respectable then?

[Falconer02]

In my interpretation, the moon is a lesser light because light is lost in the reflection process. Therefore, God and science are both accurate.

That's a unique interpretation. Too bad that's not what it says.

What if you believe in racism or sexism? Is standing up for what you believe respectable then?

You are under no obligation to respect someone elses beliefs in this country. You are only 'required' to acknowledge them. There's nothing wrong with disrespecting a belief if it's completely absurd and offensive (such as this woman walking out in the presence of elementary reasoning). She's a fool. And seeing how Texas is still fighting to teach creationism in public schools, yeah, lots of hillbillies.

[Abrupt]

I cannot find any transcripts or video of the speech so I have nothing to go by regarding this matter.  Assuming he was booed, my first thought would be that he was being booed for talking to the people like they are idiots.  Is the intent of this thread meant to suggest people from Texas are uneducated or what?

I have never had this desire to try and belittle or ridicule other people (well maybe when I was a young child I did) so I don't really understand it.  Is it a form of insecurity?  If so, considering that I have generally find myself to be smarter, wiser, stronger, faster, and better looking then most other people, I suppose I will never know this weakness.

[falcon9]

... considering that I have generally find myself to be smarter, wiser, stronger, faster, and better looking then most other people, I suppose I will never know this weakness.

Was that humor, self-deception or, unfounded egotism? <--rhetorical question

[sigmapi1501]

  Is the intent of this thread meant to suggest people from Texas are uneducated or what?

Yes

[Abrupt]

... considering that I have generally find myself to be smarter, wiser, stronger, faster, and better looking then most other people, I suppose I will never know this weakness.

Was that humor, self-deception or, unfounded egotism? <--rhetorical question

Honest observations and awareness mixed with a bit of humor and dangled as bait to see what sort would bite and to what extent.

[falcon9]

... considering that I have generally find myself to be smarter, wiser, stronger, faster, and better looking then most other people, I suppose I will never know this weakness.

Was that humor, self-deception or, unfounded egotism? <--rhetorical question

Honest observations and awareness mixed with a bit of humor and dangled as bait to see what sort would bite and to what extent.

Well, you were implicitly honest about your trolling at least, (although the content did make it mildly humorous).  Conversely, such self-deceptive "observations" do not accurately convey "awareness"; they convey quite the opposite. <-- that last bit added so that you'd receive a response that varies with one expected by 'dangling such bait'