This should make predicting this year’s science Nobels easier. Last month,
Republican congressman Paul Broun, who also happens to be a member of the US House of Representatives science committee, described evolution, the big bang theory and embryology as ‘lies straight from the pit hell’:
Today one of the Nobel committees got their revenge, giving the Physiology or Medicine prize to work on embryology. Ha, take that!
So, coming up this week: prizes for the Big Bang tomorrow, and chemical evolution on Wednesday. Perhaps Dawkins will get the literature prize on Thursday, just to really wind up the US politicians.
Who, then for the Peace Prize? Any suggestions?
PZ Myers (runs away)
Now, here’s a cunning plan to get you the Peace Prize. I nominate you for the literature prize, for the excellent Siege of Stars, and the wonderfully gothic By the Sea. When they laugh at you, because you don’t use enough long words that they can pretend to understand, I’ll point out that the peace prize was given to Kissinger, so it can’t be any worse. The committee will respond by forcible informing us that the Peace Prize is given out by Norwegians, not Swedes. This will obviously upset Oslo, and a little bit of poking should be enough to start a war. Then you step in, declining the prize because you don’t want to cause any more strife between civilised nations. The Norwegians will be so relieved that they’ll have to give you the Peace Prize. Just to piss off Stockholm.
Sounds like a plan.
After some thought, I decided that the obvious nominee would be Big Bird.
Since they gave it to President Obama, for doing nothing obvious, I should think almost anyone would do. I suggest me, because I haven’t started any arguments recently.
I confess I’m struggling to understand how “embryology” can be a “lie”.
Is there no such thing as an embryo? Are the scientists who are studying embryos just working with imaginary ones?
Throw me a bone, Mr Broun.
Oh, hang on: those might not exist either.
Of course embryology is a lie – it’s all about the storks. There’s even evidence.
Oh Deer !