Ideology stomps all over chemistry in a new paper

Ideology stomps all over chemistry in a new paper

There are two ways I can criticize the uber-woke paper below that was published in from The Journal of Chemical Education (an organ of the American Chemical Society). I could go through it in detail and point out the fallacies and undocumented claims, and note where “progressive” ideology simply overwhelms the science. I could highlight why it’s a bit of hyper-Left propaganda, designed to force students in a Chemistry, Feminism and STEM course to think in a certain way.

Or I could simply mock it as an example of politicized science that is so over the top that it could appear without change in The Onion.

Way #1 would waste a lot of my time, and I’ve gone through this kind of exegesis many times before. Way #2 would bring out the splenetic readers who say that I shouldn’t make fun of dumb papers like this but instead take them apart line by line—that mockery is not an effective weapon. But it is. Why else would Stanford have remove its list if disapproved words and phrases had not the Wall Street Journal mocked the list? “Mockery makes you look bad,” these jokers would say, “and it’s unintellectual.”

I’m rejecting both ways today in favor of The Third Way: let the paper reveal its own ideology, postmodern craziness, and authoritarianism by just giving quotes. In other words, I’ll let it mock itself.

Recently, we were discussing the incredible surge in DEI and critical race theory language in scientific publications increases by 4,200% between 2010 and 2021: study. Many of us explored the 'change' in what was being associated with purely scientific concerns to making science 'inextricably linked with feminism, diversity/inclusion, race-based perspective, and other topics... to the point of having to 'tick that box' to be even seriously considered in academia.

But mostly we saw only moderate interest in the idea. This source shows a more in-depth view of what this trend represents. The paper itself can be accessed via the article, or here as a pdf.

Please review this carefully and note, if you can, just how much this paper has to do with the teaching the science of chemistry.

For example:

In this article we describe the development, implementation, and student experience from a special topic course in chemistry, Science and Feminism, as a disruptive tool to challenge the status quo in Chemistry. Using Critical Race Theory and intersectional feminism as the framework, this course aimed at creating an intellectual as well as physical space for STEM students at East Carolina University (ECU) where they could explore their identities and how these intersect with the knowledge base and the pedagogy of science by looking at these from historical, political, and feminist lens. The other aim was to shine light, through this process, how scientific epistemology and culture have strong links with capitalism, enslavement, colonization, and exploitation of female-bodied folks. We provide the historical context of teaching this class in our institution, development of the course syllabus, assignments, and evaluations adopted for this course over the past two years as a template for future course development. In the Discussion and Conclusion section, we also provide a short description from qualitative analysis of online student survey to understand what students thought about the importance of such a STEM course. Finally, this course is intended to produce an affirming space that will allow minoritized students to enter a chemistry class without having to leave their identities at the metaphorical and physical door of STEM classes.

I have added bolding to all the words and phrases which I would normally challenge ... but I think it would be overkill in this case, if you don't see the problems here, I have to assume I'm just too far out of touch with the "new normal."

originally posted by: Maxmars
....if you don't see the problems here, I have to assume I'm just too far out of touch with the "new normal."

Or possibly the people who don't see a problem here are, themselves, too out of touch with reality.

a reply to: Maxmars

Trust the science Bro!

But FEEL that intersectional activism.


Its lke science,but with an unhealthy spoonful of indoctrination.

a reply to: Silcone Synapse

You know, I am concerned about this kind of crap being applied to each science in turn, until no one can research quantum mechanics without it being slathered in buzzword goo.

for example a modified description could read:

"Quantum mechanics is a fundamental male-dominated theory in exploitative physics that provides a white male-oriented description of the physical properties of biased nature at the scale of historically abusive female-exploitation concepts of atoms and subatomic particles.  It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science all of which have historically marginalized and minoritized indigenous people and female-bodied folk."

Ahem.

a reply to: Maxmars

All of Feynman's books will be burned and statues of theoretical physicists will be removed. In the quest for equity, no Nobel prizes will be awarded to any white, cis, male until all genders and races have a prize, including genders and races not yet imagined. Math is overly complex and will be reduced to answers "1,2, many" in line with tribal math, greatly simplifying the coursework and eliminating racial math. All existing technical advances and patents will be reassigned and reauthored to eliminate all white and Asian males from the literature. History will be corrected to show "intersection of equity trajectories" as Kornbluth's "Marching Morons" becomes reality.

a reply to: Maxmars

Oh my.

What a mess.

I'm assuming a "female-bodied person" is the new normal for "women"?

My head hurts...think I'll just be an old fashioned relic of the "old normal"...

a reply to: Maxmars

I am sure America's competing Nations in chemistry like China, Korea, Japan are rushing to implement the conclusions of this "paper"....

The scientific method, which was developed is the best tool we had to prove someone wrong or right has now been hijacked and turned into a political lever, only communists or tyrant could be proud of.

Which means if honest scientist, who go by the methods alone can now be cancelled for nefarious reasons.
Like "they didn't use the approved pronouns, hence their paper is void."

Meanwhile the real science is still there, but truth has been declared phobic, racist or any other current no-no word.
It is there, overwritten by everything that is totally unscientific and some people fall for it and demonise said methods as quickly as they blame Satan on everything whilst their church is twisting the truth and spreads unnecessary fear for power.

Just use logic, facts and open your eyes to see that people seem to love their oppressors, because they also provide a handy scapegoat. Usually someone who has the ability to show the truth, using facts, and hence needs to be hated by the masses.

Hwy, it works a treat. See the last 2000 years and counting.

Yup. Just pointing this huge elephant in the room out for the easily led.

a reply to: Maxmars

More like:


"STEM are fundamental, complex , historically white male-dominated fields that have given us every modern convenience we enjoy today, because males generally outperform females in math.

In this paper, as an unsufferable unnapreciative beatch, I wanna show that I am too stupid to understand any of it and wah, wah, wah I wanna write utter non-scientifc drivel to prove I am smart despite the fact that I suck at math.

And, as a feminazi, I want to force males to take my shyytty course to reassure myself I am not the idiot that examination of my gross ignorance proves me to be.

I wanna add totally subjective bullshyte and grading so that I can fail at will all males, again to reassure myself I am not an idiot and I am real important.
And I am exploited.
By males.
Because I suck at math/STEM
And it's males' fault
On account of "because".
Because it's my turn to feel important
And that argument is all sciency-like
And I don't wanna do real work to earn respect
I am entitled to being real important
Because of my fweeeelings
My fweeeling are much more important than objective reproducible facts, logic and reason
Look at me, LOOK AT ME !!
It's all about me"

Full article available at Journal of Irreproducible Results, February 31st edition, 2023

Can't wait to see that degree on someone's resume... #YoureFiredB4YouWereHired

a reply to: Maxmars
Have you only just realised this?????? Think of Galileo and the church or how Darwin was crucified for his theory. It's been going on for centuries. To fight the BS,,, well that's the problem. Think climate activists.

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: Maxmars
Have you only just realised this?????? Think of Galileo and the church or how Darwin was crucified for his theory. It's been going on for centuries. To fight the BS,,, well that's the problem. Think climate activists.

I think the Galileo saga doesn't compare very well... but I get the drift of what you're saying and perhaps a thread comparing the events driven by a dominant religious state and a secular woke one would be very interesting.

These things have happened before.. but this seems much more insidious, and hardly what I would pay tuition for when what I need to learn is chemistry... not social science (such as it is called.)

To make this part of a Chemistry curriculum is counter intuitive to me... but I'm sure they'll make it a requirement soon enough (if they haven't already.)

a reply to: M5xaz

I am sure anyone with any serious academic talent is rushing to find out how they might qualify for schooling in those countries.

originally posted by: pteridine
a reply to: Maxmars

All of Feynman's books will be burned and statues of theoretical physicists will be removed. In the quest for equity, no Nobel prizes will be awarded to any white, cis, male until all genders and races have a prize, including genders and races not yet imagined. Math is overly complex and will be reduced to answers "1,2, many" in line with tribal math, greatly simplifying the coursework and eliminating racial math. All existing technical advances and patents will be reassigned and reauthored to eliminate all white and Asian males from the literature. History will be corrected to show "intersection of equity trajectories" as Kornbluth's "Marching Morons" becomes reality.

I have been reeeeing over the treatment of Dr. Richard Feynman's ideas on the scientific method he so eloquently observed in laymen's terms. Such a person that he was eyeballs deep with the Manhattan project.

A great book to read if any care to learn of Dr Feynman is "Surely, You're Joking Mr Feynman"

If I shared my transcpipts from school it might show that some of us have been taking the shjtty stuff at the same time so we could learn about life. Math, men and women can be equal. Football or other physical things it is a no brainer that they are weaker. When it comes to handling things men are lousy at, they win hands down. We are supposed to compliment each other with our skill sets.

originally posted by: M5xaz
a reply to: Maxmars

More like:


"STEM are fundamental, complex , historically white male-dominated fields that have given us every modern convenience we enjoy today, because males generally outperform females in math.

In this paper, as an unsufferable unnapreciative beatch, I wanna show that I am too stupid to understand any of it and wah, wah, wah I wanna write utter non-scientifc drivel to prove I am smart despite the fact that I suck at math.

And, as a feminazi, I want to force males to take my shyytty course to reassure myself I am not the idiot that examination of my gross ignorance proves me to be.

I wanna add totally subjective bullshyte and grading so that I can fail at will all males, again to reassure myself I am not an idiot and I am real important.
And I am exploited.
By males.
Because I suck at math/STEM
And it's males' fault
On account of "because".
Because it's my turn to feel important
And that argument is all sciency-like
And I don't wanna do real work to earn respect
I am entitled to being real important
Because of my fweeeelings
My fweeeling are much more important than objective reproducible facts, logic and reason
Look at me, LOOK AT ME !!
It's all about me"

Full article available at Journal of Irreproducible Results, February 31st edition, 2023

originally posted by: Justoneman
If I shared my transcpipts from school it might show that some of us have been taking the shjtty stuff at the same time so we could learn about life. Math, men and women can be equal. Football or other physical things it is a no brainer that they are weaker. When it comes to handling things men are lousy at, they win hands down. We are supposed to compliment each other with our skill sets.

originally posted by: M5xaz
a reply to: Maxmars

More like:


"STEM are fundamental, complex , historically white male-dominated fields that have given us every modern convenience we enjoy today, because males generally outperform females in math.

In this paper, as an unsufferable unnapreciative beatch, I wanna show that I am too stupid to understand any of it and wah, wah, wah I wanna write utter non-scientifc drivel to prove I am smart despite the fact that I suck at math.

And, as a feminazi, I want to force males to take my shyytty course to reassure myself I am not the idiot that examination of my gross ignorance proves me to be.

I wanna add totally subjective bullshyte and grading so that I can fail at will all males, again to reassure myself I am not an idiot and I am real important.
And I am exploited.
By males.
Because I suck at math/STEM
And it's males' fault
On account of "because".
Because it's my turn to feel important
And that argument is all sciency-like
And I don't wanna do real work to earn respect
I am entitled to being real important
Because of my fweeeelings
My fweeeling are much more important than objective reproducible facts, logic and reason
Look at me, LOOK AT ME !!
It's all about me"

Full article available at Journal of Irreproducible Results, February 31st edition, 2023

Agreed

I'm just making an extreme parody of that particular "academic"

And yes, a world without art or music would be pretty dismal indeed.


STEM fields themselves are not sexist/racist/etc.
They are available to anyone willing to do the work, male or female.

I just very strongly object to polluting these fields with political drivel just so the idiot/lazy class can feel good about themselves

originally posted by: Maxmars
Ideology stomps all over chemistry in a new paper

There are two ways I can criticize the uber-woke paper below that was published in from The Journal of Chemical Education (an organ of the American Chemical Society). I could go through it in detail and point out the fallacies and undocumented claims, and note where “progressive” ideology simply overwhelms the science. I could highlight why it’s a bit of hyper-Left propaganda, designed to force students in a Chemistry, Feminism and STEM course to think in a certain way.

Or I could simply mock it as an example of politicized science that is so over the top that it could appear without change in The Onion.

Way #1 would waste a lot of my time, and I’ve gone through this kind of exegesis many times before. Way #2 would bring out the splenetic readers who say that I shouldn’t make fun of dumb papers like this but instead take them apart line by line—that mockery is not an effective weapon. But it is. Why else would Stanford have remove its list if disapproved words and phrases had not the Wall Street Journal mocked the list? “Mockery makes you look bad,” these jokers would say, “and it’s unintellectual.”

I’m rejecting both ways today in favor of The Third Way: let the paper reveal its own ideology, postmodern craziness, and authoritarianism by just giving quotes. In other words, I’ll let it mock itself.

Recently, we were discussing the incredible surge in DEI and critical race theory language in scientific publications increases by 4,200% between 2010 and 2021: study. Many of us explored the 'change' in what was being associated with purely scientific concerns to making science 'inextricably linked with feminism, diversity/inclusion, race-based perspective, and other topics... to the point of having to 'tick that box' to be even seriously considered in academia.

But mostly we saw only moderate interest in the idea. This source shows a more in-depth view of what this trend represents. The paper itself can be accessed via the article, or here as a pdf.

They get an extra $5K of budget for every progressive phrase they can squeeze into the curriculum. The idea isn't to educate but to milk the proverbial cow because every professional in the industry knows there is no job security in being GOOD at your subject, only in the consumer traffic pouring through your door.

originally posted by: M5xaz

originally posted by: Justoneman
If I shared my transcpipts from school it might show that some of us have been taking the shjtty stuff at the same time so we could learn about life. Math, men and women can be equal. Football or other physical things it is a no brainer that they are weaker. When it comes to handling things men are lousy at, they win hands down. We are supposed to compliment each other with our skill sets.

originally posted by: M5xaz
a reply to: Maxmars

More like:


"STEM are fundamental, complex , historically white male-dominated fields that have given us every modern convenience we enjoy today, because males generally outperform females in math.

In this paper, as an unsufferable unnapreciative beatch, I wanna show that I am too stupid to understand any of it and wah, wah, wah I wanna write utter non-scientifc drivel to prove I am smart despite the fact that I suck at math.

And, as a feminazi, I want to force males to take my shyytty course to reassure myself I am not the idiot that examination of my gross ignorance proves me to be.

I wanna add totally subjective bullshyte and grading so that I can fail at will all males, again to reassure myself I am not an idiot and I am real important.
And I am exploited.
By males.
Because I suck at math/STEM
And it's males' fault
On account of "because".
Because it's my turn to feel important
And that argument is all sciency-like
And I don't wanna do real work to earn respect
I am entitled to being real important
Because of my fweeeelings
My fweeeling are much more important than objective reproducible facts, logic and reason
Look at me, LOOK AT ME !!
It's all about me"

Full article available at Journal of Irreproducible Results, February 31st edition, 2023

Agreed

I'm just making an extreme parody of that particular "academic"

And yes, a world without art or music would be pretty dismal indeed.


STEM fields themselves are not sexist/racist/etc.
They are available to anyone willing to do the work, male or female.

I just very strongly object to polluting these fields with political drivel just so the idiot/lazy class can feel good about themselves

Reading that last line reminds me that kids as they are growing up do not need "participation rewards". It is often a motivator or life lesson when they say, "you lost young man"/"you lost young lady". What they really need to see is sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Life doesn't care if you aren't ready to win or lose.

It is about winning, or losing from the time you join the rest of us working for a living. You don't always get that promotion or win the lottery. Ii am not the smartest person in every room I walk in unless I am alone. Being above average means you are better off than way more than most people. So, don't whine about that by looking at those well above average as lucky or jerks unless they truly are a lucky jerk.

a reply to: Maxmars
Honestly, all I see is what the article states, an argument of why the authors think it is important to teach "... science with a feminist framework and defines it by acknowledging that all knowledge is historically situated and is influenced by social power and politics."

It didn't actually stomp anything. It is an opinion piece.

ETA: Also, it is an opinion piece on pedagogy, not chemistry.

originally posted by: daskakik
a reply to: Maxmars
Honestly, all I see is what the article states, an argument of why the authors think it is important to teach "... science with a feminist framework and defines it by acknowledging that all knowledge is historically situated and is influenced by social power and politics."

It didn't actually stomp anything. It is an opinion piece.

ETA: Also, it is an opinion piece on pedagogy, not chemistry.

I see a subtle but critical distinction between education and discussion. One of these methods doesn't involve the objective examination of a given topic, but a pulpit from which ideology is routinely spoon fed to the audience. On the other hand, said audience is entitled to a service they paid for. Don't want it? Don't buy it.