Which Controversy?

At the intersection of science and superstition

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.

I found this sign to a popular attraction on a visit to Branson Missouri over the fourth of July,  and the juxtaposition of science and the supernatural struck me as emblematic of our times. It was only later when I got home that I noted the crazed clown stuck between seemingly confused as to which is which. The clown makes the picture perfect – just zany and paradoxical enough to print. [Click on the thumbnail to enlarge.]

Science is under attack in our country from several groups, from those who would twist it to their political purpose to those who would attack it through philosophy, to those who attack it through religion. More people in this country currently believe in astrology than plate tectonics, some people still come up with bizzarre conspiracies about how the moon landing was faked. From the superstitious luddite crowd in Greenpeace to the far right fundamentalist religious extremists they attempt to paint science and reason as the root of all evil. Continue reading “Which Controversy?”