Meeting Doctor Doom

[DeclinetoState]

Forrest M. Mims III

Copyright 2006 by Forrest M. Mims III.

Recently citizen scientist Forrest Mims told me about a speech he heard at the Texas Academy of Science during which the speaker, a world-renowned ecologist, advocated for the extermination of 90 percent of the human species in a most horrible and painful manner. Apparently at the speaker's direction, the speech was not video taped by the Academy and so Forrest's may be the only record of what was said. Forrest's account of what he witnessed chilled my soul. Astonishingly, Forrest reports that many of the Academy members present gave the speaker a standing ovation. To date, the Academy has not moved to sanction the speaker or distance itself from the speaker's remarks.

If the professional community has lost its sense of moral outrage when one if their own openly calls for the slow and painful extermination of over 5 billion human beings, then it falls upon the amateur community to be the conscience of science.

Forrest, who is a member of the Texas Academy and chairs its Environmental Science Section, told me he would be unable to describe the speech in The Citizen Scientist because he has protested the speech to the Academy and he serves as Editor of The Citizen Scientist . Therefore, to preclude a possible conflict of interest, I have directed Forrest to describe what he observed and his reactions in this special feature, for which I have served as editor and which is being released a week ahead of our normal publication schedule. Comments may be sent to Backscatter (editor@sas.org). Shawn Carlson, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director, Society for Amateur Scientists (http://www.sas.org/).

There is always something special about science meetings. The 109th meeting of the Texas Academy of Science (http://www.texasacademyofscience.org/)at Lamar University in Beaumont on 3-5 March 2006 was especially exciting for me, because a student and his professor presented the results of a DNA study I suggested to them last year. How fulfilling to see the baldcypress ( Taxodium distichum ) leaves we collected last summer and my tree ring photographs transformed into a first class scientific presentation that's nearly ready to submit to a scientific journal (Brian Iken and Dr. Deanna McCullough, "Bald Cypress of the Texas Hill Country: Taxonomically Unique?" 109th Meeting of the Texas Academy of Science Program and Abstracts [ PDF (http://www.texasacademyofscience.org/2006_tas_program.pdf)], Poster P59, p. 84, 2006).

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 (http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/%7Evaranus/eric.html)(Fig. 1), the University of Texas evolutionary ecologist and lizard expert who the Academy named the 2006 Distinguished Texas Scientist.

http://www.sas.org/tcs/weeklyIssues_2006/2006-04-07/feature1p/images/fig1_230.jpg (http://www.sas.org/tcs/weeklyIssues_2006/2006-04-07/feature1p/images/fig1.jpg)

Figure 1. Dr. Eric R. Pianka and an unidentified woman from the University of Texas at Arlington following a recent speech before the Texas Academy of Science in which Pianka endorsed airborne Ebola as an efficient means for eliminating 90 percent of the world's population. Pianka received an enthusiastic and prolonged standing ovation. Later he received more applause from a banquet hall filled with more than 400 people when the president of the Texas Academy of Science presented him with a plaque naming him 2006 Distinguished Texas Scientist. Photograph copyright 2006 by Forrest M Mims III.

The Citizen Scientist (http://www.sas.org/tcs/weeklyIssues_2006/2006-04-07/feature1p/index.html)

[Naturalized-Texan]

Pianka makes Hitler look like an angel by comparison.

[Timberwolf]

I hereby call for and demand that "doktor" Pianka be subjected to his own suggestion. He can be the test subject.

I possess a fairly large collection of vulgar names by which I refer to pieces of garbage such as "doktor" Pianka...but, nothing comes close to accurately reflecting the depraved inhumanity from which this miserable little "man" suffers.

He should be exterminated...um, 'scuse me...retroactively aborted...'nuf sed.

[sunsettommy]

Gargle,

did this really happened?

:thud:

[ThomasMore]

Another man obsessed with the culture of death and filled with a hatred of man's existence, and with the notion of an almighty God.

To wit:

1. Planka's online Curriculum Vita includes his self-written obituary (http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/%7Evaranus/obit.html). He can't wait for the world to know what a Great Man Eric R. Planka thinks Eric R. Planka is. It speaks both to a massive ego, and an obsession with death.

2. He has named his favorite bison bull "Lucifer". See above.

3. He has drafted his own banal "Ten Commandments (http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/%7Evaranus/moses.html)", including the gem "Thou Shalt NOT fail to pay homage to thy academic predecessors even though they may have perished."

4. He gives his e-mail address as eric.pianka@heaven/hell.com. Whether that really goes anywhere (it is from his obit), I haven't tested. It might just be a gag. Again, that goes to his obsession with death.


-------

Separately, I wonder what opinion he would give about those who deliberately try to infect others with AIDS.

[Naturalized-Texan]

Gargle,

did this really happened?

:thud:
Yes. A University of Texas professor says the Earth would be better off with 90 percent of the human population dead (http://story.seguingazette.com/drudge.html)

“Every one of you who gets to survive has to bury nine,” Eric Pianka cautioned students and guests at St. Edward’s University on Friday. Pianka’s words are part of what he calls his “doomsday talk” — a 45-minute presentation outlining humanity’s ecological misdeeds and Pianka’s predictions about how nature, or perhaps humans themselves, will exterminate all but a fraction of civilization.

Though his statements are admittedly bold, he’s not without abundant advocates. But what may set this revered biologist apart from other doomsday soothsayers is this: Humanity’s collapse is a notion he embraces.

Indeed, his words deal, very literally, on a life-and-death scale, yet he smiles and jokes candidly throughout the lecture. Disseminating a message many would call morbid, Pianka’s warnings are centered upon awareness rather than fear.

“This is really an exciting time,” he said Friday amid warnings of apocalypse, destruction and disease. Only minutes earlier he declared, “Death. This is what awaits us all. Death.” Reflecting on the so-called Ancient Chinese Curse, “May you live in interesting times,” he wore, surprisingly, a smile.

[Telit laikitiz]

Most disturbing about this is that they gave him a standing O. Are there that many people who agree with him? You know that now since the news about him is out, sides must be formed. I, as always, side with God and life and therefore do not fear satan and his puny minions however he and his would be followers must be exposed and shouted down. He and his followers will not stand, and you have God's word on that.

[DoctorDoom]

did this really happened?His students and his website verify the lunatic suggestion.

I don't root for ebola, but maybe a ban on having more than one child. I agree . . . too many people ruining this planet.

Though I agree that convervation (sic) biology is of utmost importance to the world, I do not think that preaching that 90% of the human population should die of ebola is the most effective means of encouraging conservation awareness. I found Pianka to be knowledgable, but spent too much time focusing on his specific research and personal views.Biology 304 Evaluations (http://www.zo.utexas.edu/courses/bio357/357evaluations.html)

Scroll down to just before "Excerpts from Student Evaluations -- Fall 2005".

[Warlady]

DTS you beat me to the punch. I was just about to post this article. Pretty scary isn't it? With free speech comes responsibility. Why is this person teaching this insanity in our country?

[DoctorDoom]

I wonder if the elitist prick included himself in the expendable 90%? Does he have some secret way to confine Ebola to the undesirables? And who does the asshole think will provide him and his fellow effete intellectual snobs with food and clothing when all the little people are dead?

If he were truly committed to his teachings, he'd off himself in some public place in front of TV cameras as an inspiration to others.

[DeclinetoState]

DTS you beat me to the punch. I was just about to post this article. Pretty scary isn't it? With free speech comes responsibility. Why is this person teaching this insanity in our country?

I'll bet he's tenured. Once you make tenure in some universities, you can do or say just about anything without having to worry about getting canned. I would not attend one of this guy's lectures. I'd be afraid he'd decide that part of the 90% of the population the world could do without was sitting in front of him and act accordingly.

[DeclinetoState]

He makes Peter Singer (http://www.princeton.edu/~psinger/faq.html) look almost sane by comparison.

[DeclinetoState]

Liz Austin, Associated Press
Last update: April 04, 2006 – 10:05 AM

AUSTIN, Texas — Talk radio and blogs are taking aim at a University of Texas biology professor because of a published report suggesting he advocates death for most of the human population as a means of saving the Earth.

However, Eric Pianka says his remarks about his beliefs were taken out of context, that he was just raising a warning that deadly disease epidemics are a threat if population growth isn't contained.

"What we really need to do is start thinking about controlling our population before it's too late," he said Monday. "It's already too late, but we're not even thinking about it. We're just mindlessly rushing ahead breeding our brains out."

Pianka, who has gotten vitriolic e-mails and even a death threat, said he believes the Earth would be better off if there were fewer people using up natural resources and destroying habitats.


http://www.startribune.com/484/story/350003.html

"What we really need to do is start thinking about controlling our population before it's too late," he said Monday. "It's already too late, but we're not even thinking about it. We're just mindlessly rushing ahead breeding our brains out."

This is double-talk unless he really means what we think he's meant all along.

[sunsettommy]

Oh goody another planetary savior candidate.

[ThomasMore]

http://www.startribune.com/484/story/350003.html

"What we really need to do is start thinking about controlling our population before it's too late," he said Monday. "It's already too late, but we're not even thinking about it. We're just mindlessly rushing ahead breeding our brains out."

This is double-talk unless he really means what we think he's meant all along.
He's playing CYA. He has been called out on his absurdity and isn't honest enough to state his beliefs beyond his little audience of adoring freshmen. He knows that grown-ups won't stand for his nonsense.

And his assertion that "we're just mindlessly...breeding our brains out" is simply false. This "scholar's" scholarship isn't very good. World population is likely to peak later this century. By 2100, worldwide population will be well into decline.

Already, the native birthrates of Europe, the Far East (Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China), the US and Canada, and Australia, have dropped below replacement. Only immigration is causing those populations to continue to increase. The rest of the world, including Latin America, Africa, Central Asia also has rapidly declining birthrates, and at the current rate of drop, they will also fall below replacement before the end of the century.

But that information doesn't fit his template. He wants to be a Prophet of Death.

"A billion people have VANISHED!" by Ben Wattenberg (http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.14913/pub_detail.asp)

[Wolfcounsel]

“We're no better than bacteria!” --Piankito the Clown

This talking monkey has been chewing too many paint chips.

[ThomasMore]

Tucker Carlson is interviewing Pianka on MSNBC right now...

[DeclinetoState]

Like the FBI:


He says he's issuing warning, but others see talk of pandemics as a threat.

By Laura Heinauer (lheinauer@statesman.com)
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, April 05, 2006

University of Texas professor Eric Pianka's enemies say he advocates wiping out 90 percent of the population and that his seemingly giddy obsession with death and disease coupled with power over young minds is dangerous and disturbing.

His supporters say while his rhetoric may be shocking at times, he's just trying to get people to think about the consequences of uncontrolled population growth.
<!--endtext--><!--startclickprintexclude-->
"I've found that it takes courage to tell people what they don't want to know," Pianka, 67, said Tuesday, two days after a newspaper story in Seguin's Gazette-Enterprise ignited a firestorm that has resulted in e-mail threats on Pianka's life.

The controversy surrounds comments made during two recent speeches in which Pianka discussed the need for population control and the impending disease pandemic that might well just take care of it. Some heard the comments as simply a warning. To others, however, it sounded like Pianka was advocating the use of deadly viruses to kill off millions of people.

Pianka, who calls the latter interpretation nonsense, says the whole thing has blown out of proportion. Many, however, seem to be taking his critics seriously. Pianka said he is scheduled to meet with FBI officials today.


http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/04/5PIANKA.html

[DesertFox]

It takes zero courage to weave fantastic, sci-fi like tails. East Coast story tellers do it regularly, though normally with little kids.

This fool's just another lib who wants congratulations on his courage. The thinking seems to be, When nobody else say you're wonderful, do it yourself.

[AceKing]

Wow - that guy is about as loony as they come.

It was interesting to see the name of Forrest Mims III in the initial post. He authored a series of booklets, available at Radio Shack, on basic electronics and semiconductor circuits. Very meticulous yet readily understandable - they sparked an interest that led to my becoming an EE. In a sense, I owe my career to Mims!

[Patriot Heart]

He's not exactly "slim 'n trim"... hmmm....I would say he's using way more of the world's food resources than he deserves......