Originally posted by Nygdan
Lets re-iterate what actually happened here:
en.wikipedia.org...
Pianka has suggested that the human population is likely to crash, and that a mutant strain of Ebola (which has up to a 90% mortality rate) is a
possible culprit[2]. In response to Pianka's speech while accepting the Texas Academy of Sciences Distinguished Scientist of the Year award in 2006,
creationist and Discovery Institute member Forrest Mims alleged that Pianka had "endorsed the elimination of 90 per
Everyone here calling for pianka to die or thinking he is crazy,including me, just got played. Played by religious paranoids who want to stir
up trouble for people that have apparently done little more than think, in order to promote their cause and get more and more control over all
of us.
Notice how they made it so that this guy appeared crazy? Notice how they made it so that the academics were applauding him? They want us to stop
thinking and get in line with their ideology.
Aren't we jumping the gun here somewhat, Nygdan? I don't see how this wikipedia quote resolves the issue of what was said at this meeting. And I
agree, at this point, it's Mims word against Pianka's. However, truthseeka, who actually took a class from this guy more or less confirmed what Mims
was saying.
I'm not saying the guy is guilty or not, and in fact, I'm the one who posted Mims' ideas, and anti-evolution tendencies, because I think the
verdict isn't in.
However, the door swings both ways... until we hear from an independent source... we don't know if were 'played' by 'religious crazies' or not.
It's entirely possible the this wiki quote is just some watered down, gentrified version of Pianka's ideas, or perhaps it's possible he's just
gotten more radical.
In any case... I don't think the time is ripe for mudslinging. Why don't we wait until more information comes in?
Edited to add:
I just looked at some of
Pianka's student evaluations... most were very
positive... one comment in particular did stand out... from fall of 2004 I believe...
Though I agree that convervation biology is of utmost importance to the world, I do not think that preaching that 90% of the human population
should die of ebola is the most effective means of encouraging conservation awareness. I found Pianka to be knowledgable, but spent too much time
focusing on his specific research and personal views.
So this... from a student of Pianka's, suggests Pianka has alluded to the fact he wishes 90% of the population would die of ebola.
Again, truthseeka more or less confirmed this when he stated
When I saw the title of this thread, I already knew who had said it. Wanna know why?
Because I HAD that guy as a professor!!!
And you know what, he actually SAID THIS TWICE, to the entire class! We all looked around like, huh?
He even went into gory details on the progression of ebola from infection to death. I am still stunned that this made its way to ATS
So perhaps Forrest Mims
did misinterpret what Pianka said, but it would appear that other's who've heard him speak inferred the same as Mims,
and I don't think anyone at ATS would describe truthseeka as a 'religious crazy.'
[edit on 4-4-2006 by mattison0922]