For example, this past Spring, Tennessee passed legislation sponsored by the Tea Party that makes it permissible to teach creationism in schools alongside of Evolution as part of the science curriculum. Are we still living in the 1920's? This is simply crazy. Evolution is not some speculative hypothesis that needs to be tested. It is a theory that has been proven over and over again beyond the shadow of a doubt. It is the same theory that we use to design modern medicines that saves lives; it is the same theory that we use to convict criminals and sentence them to death. There is as much scientific evidence for creationism as there is for the existence of Santa Claus.
So, on one side we have those who say that 1 + 1 = 2; on the other, we have those who loudly clamor that no you're wrong: 1 + 1 = 1000000. Hey, they shout, you are the extreme ones, look at how far away you are from us.
Then there are those in the middle who want to be "fair". Let's compromise, we know that the "Party of 2" is much more likely to be correct and so let's say that 1 + 1 = 3, which is almost 2.
No, I am sorry, but that will not do. A plane that thinks that 1 + 1 = 3 will crash. A building that thinks that 1 + 1 = 3 will collapse. A computer that thinks that 1 + 1 = 3 is useless.
A revenue-neutral tax plan that reduces taxes on the wealthy without raising taxes on the middle class and poor is a nonsensical fallacy.
This country faces a number of challenges including spiraling healthcare costs, persistent unemployment, and Global Warming. We cannot begin to make progress on these complex issues until we all agree that 1 + 1 = 2, not 3, not 1000000. Those who cannot agree must excuse themselves from the discussion.
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| Figure 1. The tandem bicycle on the right was designed by an engineer who thinks that 1 + 1 = 3. |
