[rant]
I know this is a small nit picky detail in the debate, but McCain put his foot squarely in my turf and showed he is clueless about a place I used to volunteer (running the Doan 20" telescope) and one of the top science centers in the country that specializes in, oh, science education.
His quote made it sound like the Adler Planetarium in Chicago is buying a $3 million "overhead projector". Makes it sound like a $600 hammer. But projecting a HD image on a large dome isn't like showing an overhead transparency at a meeting! It takes an array of high luminosity, high definition LCD projectors powered by an array of computers. Even the relatively small Bishop Planetarium in Bradenton, Florida has a projection system that cost about $1.5 million and it is a much smaller dome than the Adler. Calling it an "overheard projector" is grossly misleading.
Now it is fair to argue whether or not the Federal Government should be funding this and if he wants to have a debate on science education in this country, there are a lot of worthy projects out there. Maybe this would make the cut, maybe it wouldn't. The least he could do is make it look like he has a clue what he is criticizing.
But maybe this isn't a nit picky detail. After all, he wants to drill for oil...might need some good scientists to identify potential deposits. He wants to develop alternative energy...he might want some good scientists for that. McCain wants the U.S to stay at the forefront of technology innovation and he will need...anyone?
Ridiculing and scoffing at science education might not be the best way to achieve some of his goals.
[/rant]
Heya! Just wanted to let you know that I used this post as a source on Ameritocracy.com (a user-generated fact-checking website): http://www.ameritocracy.com/statements/725#amcy--4RU5YB
ReplyDeleteEven if you modestly called the post a rant, I think first-hand "testimonials" like this can be really helpful in revealing a misleading statement like that.
Glad you posted!
I agree and wished Obama had been more on his toes. McCain used that projector a few times too. If Obama had been on his toes, he would have nailed McCain for denying our youth good educations. Seriously though, what do you expect from such a scientifically obtuse candidate?
ReplyDeleteThanks again hale for keeping us informed on what the correct spin is on all things scientific.
ReplyDeleteI keep trying to watch the debates. I get so far in and it all seems to be a bunch of accusations, total bs and nothing but grandstanding. Survival skills take over. I get glazed over eventually and fall asleep.
Defintely not a rant. Thanks for the posting. I knew McCain's comment about the overhead projector was full of crap and immediately hit the internet after the debate in search of what the $3million really went to pay for.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info.
I agree, huckfinn and kkdither - Probably the reason Obama didn't take his chance to correct McCain is because there wasn't any time, what with all the other crap they had to talk about. I guess I'm just a little disappointed. You can glean *something* from their attitudes, but every time I look up something one of them says, I realize that while it's partially true, there's always a bucket of addendums and caveats that make it not really true. I came to the conclusion that I can't really believe anything either of them say, especially in a debate.
ReplyDeleteI would like to here a question asked just like some of there answers.
ReplyDeleteCould you please gives us your thoughts on the implication of Roe vs Wade on the drilling for new forms of nuclear energy in Iran while the surge in Iraq is affecting the search for Bin Laden in Pakistan because the troubled US economy is influencing the Russian invasion of Georgia which is in a drought because of global warming.
Notice that this was published almost a month ago. While McCain should know what kind of projector he is talking about THIS is the part that he should have mentioned.
ReplyDeleteRoundtrip: Sen. Obama Earmarks for Donor Frank Clark
By Jim McElhatton, Washington Times
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama tried to direct more than $3 million in taxpayer funds to a Chicago museum whose chairman is one of the Illinois senator’s largest campaign fundraisers.
Mr. Obama has twice since fiscal 2006 sought to have taxpayers foot the bill for a new theater projector and other equipment at the Adler Planetarium on the Lake Michigan waterfront. Neither of the requests, which totaled $3.3 million, was approved by Congress, the museum said.
The planetarium’s chairman, then and still, is Frank Clark, chief executive of ComEd, a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Energy. He has pledged to raise more than $200,000 for Mr. Obama’s run for the White House.
Adler has been working with 8 different Congressmen to get funds for the projector...and has not received them so far.
ReplyDeleteGreat - and have high level Adler folks given money to any of them?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I'm new here and want to set up an account so I have a "name". I know I already have a Google account somehwere . . .
Yea, anon, WELCOME! We'd love to have you as a blogger!
ReplyDeleteCheck out the directions in the left hand column on our home page. All you need to do is give Google your email address and it will go through the open ID. Send jtirregulars an email request and we will reply with an invitation so that you can post your own blogs if you choose. If you need more help, just ask.