Physics Lab Gives Lesson in Diversity

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab wants you to know that it is laser-focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

And why not? Physics is all about social justice. Quarks come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Or is it flavors? I think it is flavors, but you get what I mean.

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For a long time, the physical sciences had escaped the perversions of truth associated with Marxist ideology. Scientists were well aware of the dangers of Lysenkoism and worked hard to avoid repeating the mistakes of prior generations. Moreover, they proudly asserted their independence from ideologies and religion, claiming to base their entire enterprise on allegiance only to the truth.

That hasn’t been the case for a long time though. Just as the humanities, the social sciences, and medicine have become captured by critical theory and cultural Marxism, the physical sciences have as well.

Having grown up around scientists I can attest that they are a very diverse group, both in outlook and in lifestyles. The very first gay man I ever met was a colleague of my father’s. For the most part physics, at least, has been extremely meritocratic.

With that said, there is probably no more Western pursuit than modern science. Taking one’s eye off the ball of discovering truth is the equivalent of abandoning the pursuit. If suddenly one’s race, religion, sexual preferences, or place on the intersectional ladder matters much you might as well give up.

We have seen what the invasion of DEI ideology has done to medicine. Students are forced to swear allegiance to “indigenous ways of knowing,” disregard basic biological facts, and even now encourage people to take their own lives. “Do no harm” has been replaced by “No dissent allowed.”

It’s a travesty and a worrisome sign of the collapse of our civilization.

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Ideology, particularly critical theory, has wormed its way into the hard sciences and will be extremely difficult to root out. The younger generation of scientists will be ensconced for a long time, and they of course will be in charge of recruiting the generation that comes after them.

The question isn’t whether people of diverse lifestyles and identities belong in the hard sciences. Of course, they do–if they are good scientists.

But seeking people out and identifying them based not on their contributions to science, but their genital preferences or the color of their skin is ridiculous. It is the opposite of what science should be teaching us.

When an institution like MIT can publish a book explaining how physics is Queer, you know things have gone off the rails.

Academia is lost to us. The last bastion of rationality at the university has fallen.

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Ed Morrissey 10:00 PM | November 20, 2024
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