Cory Doctorow says:

According to the filings in Blake J Robbins v Lower Merion School District (PA) et al, the laptops issued to high-school students in the well-heeled Philly suburb have webcams that can be covertly activated by the schools’ administrators, who have used this facility to spy on students and even their families. The issue came to light when the Robbins’s child was disciplined for “improper behavior in his home” and the Vice Principal used a photo taken by the webcam as evidence. The suit is a class action, brought on behalf of all students issued with these machines.

Just WTF sort of delusional thinking gives a principal (or any official, for that matter) the idea that covertly monitoring a child at home is within the purview of his position?

For more detailed and statistically sound analysis, check out Science and Engineering Indicators 2008, which I posted about last year. It states “[...] many Americans do not reliably distinguish between scientific and nonscientific knowledge claims.” See my linked post for the quote and a few stats if you don’t want to go immediately to the full report.

Hat tip to Decrepit Old Fool’s “A depressing score“, but there are no comments there. He picked it up from Greg Laden’s “I am, like, really smart and stuff“, where you’ll find plenty of commentary.

So, is the sky really falling? Today is one of those days when I’m feeling too old and tired to rant about any of this … after all, what’s a few hundred years of darkness ^[1] now and then in the broader sweep of history?

image: Hannes Grobe, Erlenmeyer flask hg.jpg, Wikipedia

1. yes, I did read the Wikipedia article; can you say snark?

According to Presto! Teacher Out Of A Job, Piculas (the teacher) claims this is the result of a student being traumatized by a simple magic trick, using a toothpick and transparent tape, which Piculas demonstrated and showed the class how to perform at home.

Of course the school board says there are additional reasons, and “wizardry” doesn’t appear in hardcopy. Well, if I were on a school board and was accusing someone of wizardry, I wouldn’t want it documented either.

Now, personally, I think it’s the student (and perhaps his parents) who need some sort of intervention — there are some serious psychological issues here.

Of course, it’s probably difficult to get to the real truth of the matter. Piculas will paint himself in the best light. The school board will hide behind their bureaucratic wall of silence for personnel issues, with only a smarmy wink-wink to hint that if only they could talk about it, the tales they could tell.

I guess it wouldn’t be smart to name a science show “Mr. Wizard” today, eh?

images: Wikipedia (click on images)

45% – Lasers work by focusing sound waves. (False)
56% – Antibiotics kill viruses as well as bacteria. (False)
76% – Does the Earth go around the Sun, or does the Sun go around the Earth? (Earth around Sun)
55% – How long does it take for the Earth to go around the Sun: one day, one month, or one year? (One year)

I’m not even going to get into the evolutionary or cosmological questions. The report also states:

The large numbers of Americans who regard astrology as at least somewhat scientific is an indicator that many Americans do not reliably distinguish between scientific and nonscientific knowledge claims. Available national data cannot differentiate those who misapply what they think are scientific criteria from those who in some respects reject conventional scientific criteria, even though they are familiar with them.

– “Science and Engineering Indicators, published by the National Science Board, provides a broad base of quantitative information on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise.”