how i learned to love ebola
April 4, 2006 – 1:56 am“Your commie has no regard for human life. Not even his own.” –Dr Strangelove
There is something about the Texas Academy of Science giving a standing ovation to a man who has just advocated killing 90% of the human population on the earth by means of a contrived Ebola epidemic which reminds me of C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength. Jack was prescient, I tell you.
6 Responses to “how i learned to love ebola”
Talk about not getting the whole story. One person from the conference, who will not allow his own comments to be published, conveys that some speaker, whom he will not release the name, said this. Then was given a standing ovation.
I’m not saying it isn’t possible, but it seems far more likely that the attendee misunderstood. Even if he is correct, I’d love to read exactly what the idea was that could lead to such a response. The idea that his only message was “wipe out 90% of the world” and still recieved a standing ovation is, I guess, possible. But it sounds a bit beyond belief even if I heard it from a credible source, let alone through an unverifiable chain of hearsay.
By Worldgineer on Apr 4, 2006
The speaker was Eric Pianka (http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~varanus/eric.html), and based on reading his website, his advocation of exterminating 90% of the population doesn’t seem like a big stretch. As to whether he was so blunt in his presentation and received a standing-O, we’ll just have to use our own judgement. Stranger things have happened.
By chopper on Apr 4, 2006
Talk about not getting the whole story.
Yes, lets.
One person from the conference, who will not allow his own comments to be published…
His comments are right there online at the link I provided above.
…conveys that some speaker, whom he will not release the name, said this.
In the second paragraph of his article, Forrest Mims said, “The speech was given by Dr. Eric R. Pianka, the University of Texas evolutionary ecologist and lizard expert who the Academy named the 2006 Distinguished Texas Scientist.”
I’d love to read exactly what the idea was that could lead to such a response.
And so you should.
The idea that his only message was “wipe out 90% of the world” and still recieved a standing ovation is, I guess, possible.
The topic of the speech was the condemnation of anthropocentrism, and the notion that overpopulation of the human race is destroying the planet.
Apparently Pianka knew his message would be offensive to some (presumably members of the 90% which are to be culled): “Pianka began his speech by explaining that the general public is not yet ready to hear what he was about to tell us.”
Furthermore, it would appear some of his colleagues knew something about the contents of this speech: “Something curious occurred a minute before Pianka began speaking. An official of the Academy approached a video camera operator at the front of the auditorium and engaged him in animated conversation. The camera operator did not look pleased as he pointed the lens of the big camera to the ceiling and slowly walked away.”
By Joel on Apr 4, 2006
voila!
commenters … hurray
By uncle jim on Apr 4, 2006
Sorry, I apparently only read the summary. I thought “Meeting Dr. Doom” was a seperate article (heh - don’t know how, now).
I still think the reporter likely threw his own slant to the article, but it certanly sounds plausable.
By Worldgineer on Apr 5, 2006
I personally think it’s a fantastic idea and endorse it wholeheartedly, on the one condition that Dr. Pianka go first as an example.
By Saint Kansas on Apr 8, 2006