Linguists here in Canada have been following closely, with a mixture of amusement, bemusement, and, it must be admitted, a little trepidation, the deliberations of our neighbours to the south, who are currently considering, in a courtroom in Pennsylvania, whether "Wrathful Dispersion Theory," as it is called, should be taught in the public schools alongside evolutionary theories of historical linguistics. It is an emotionally charged question, for linguistics is widely and justifiably seen as the centrepiece of the high-school science curriculum—a hard science, but not a difficult one to do in the classroom; an area of study that teaches students the essentials of scientific reasoning, but that at the same time touches on the spiritual essence of what it means to be human, for it is of course language that separates us from our cousins the apes.(via ObWi)
Monday, December 05, 2005
When Canadian Intellectuals Attack
Apparently, Canadians think we are stupid. Of course, we give them good reason, since we hate hockey and promote 'Intelligent Design' as science. But they are of good-enough humor that they only gently satirize us. An exerpt:
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