An excerpt from statements he allegedly made at the recent 109th annual meeting of the Texas Academy of Science, according to Forrest Mims III, who was in attendance (and I'm assuming that this isn't a joke, because it sure isn't funny):
"But there was a gravely disturbing side to that otherwise scientifically significant meeting, for I watched in amazement as a few hundred members of the Texas Academy of Science rose to their feet and gave a standing ovation to a speech that enthusiastically advocated the elimination of 90 percent of Earth's population by airborne Ebola. The speech was given by Dr. Eric R. Pianka (Fig. 1), the University of Texas evolutionary ecologist and lizard expert who the Academy named the 2006 Distinguished Texas Scientist."
You can read the entire article, in all its disturbing "glory", here.
Perhaps Dr. Pianka should spend a bit more time with his fellow humans, and a bit less time with the lizards. Better yet, why doesn't he ditch humanity altogether and spend a100% of his time with the lizards (he can be the new "Lizard King").
I'm just guessing that humanity won't miss him much. Given the views outlined in the article above, I know I wouldn't.
Paul Kimball
8 comments:
Yeah ... this Pianka just gives you a MAJOR warm fuzzy there, doesn't he???
Axinar:
It would be funny if it weren't so sad, and so dangerous, to hear people - educated people, for pete's sake - who actually think like this.
I feel sorry for the lizards.
Paul
Back in the 1990s, I was a huge conspiracy theory buff. This story brought to mind the scads of theories that the "global elite" were planning to wipe out the population for any number of reasons. Particularly, I was reminded of the so-called George Guidestones, which carries an instruction similar to this.
I'm not saying Dr. Pianka is a member of the global elite, but statements such as his, and the enthusiastic response, make it easy to see how such conspiracy theories gain credence.
AJ:
Yup. It reminds me, in a way, of how the Nazis used credible people to bolster their sick, twisted "philosophy" and make it seem respectable to the general public. The Communists did the same thing.
The fact that Pianka is a talented scientist, within his own field, is what makes his views dangerous, as opposed to some idiot from a trailer park spouting off about this stuff in a bar somewhere. What if just a couple of his students take him seriously, and, talented young scientists that they are, try and do something about it?
A long-shot, to be sure, but...
A tough week for me - first Abe Aamidor makes it hard for me to defend the mainstream media, and now Pianka makes it difficult to defend mainstream scientists, because sometimes some of them do in fact turn out to be mad.
Sigh...
Paul
What's scary to me is that an idiot like Pianka could entice someone even goofier to act on these strange beliefs. Like the president of Iran. Or North Korea. I'll breathe easier on January 1, 2013. :)
OG:
And on January 2, 2013, I'll be celebrating my 46th birthday (hmm... is "celebrating" the right word).
Paul
Well, I hope he at least has the decency to be the first one in line for an ebola injection. I mean, actions speak louder than words right?
Will
Will:
Now that's the best idea I've heard in a while. If we have to lose 90% of the population, we should probably start with wackos like Dr. Doom.
Incidentally, when people talk of overpopulation, did it ever occur to them that VAST areas of the planet are virtually unpopulated? Perhaps, if there really is a problem (and I'm not even remotely close to being convinced that there is), then we should consider the redistribution of people rather than their extermination? Or maybe we should just hold out for about 100 years, at which time we'll be able to travel in space, and start colonies.
Or maybe I just spent two minutes of my life taking this whole thing too seriously? :-)
Paul
Paul
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