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Why Sarah Palin is wrong about fruit flies
Her flippant comment about science reveals a great misunderstanding
As a supporter of teaching creationism and a global warming sceptic, Sarah Palin was never likely to be particularly popular among people who value science. But as the mother of a son with Down's syndrome and the aunt of a boy with autism, many will have assumed that John McCain's running-mate at least grasps the importance of medical research, particularly for children with special needs.
She certainly made full use of her experiences in a speech on disability policy last week. Millions of dollars squandered on congressmen's pet projects, she said, should be diverted to support for special needs. Taxpayers' money, she pointed out, was being wasted on 'things like fruit fly research'.
It seemed a perfect example of pork-barrel profligacy. Yet her choice displayed a degree of scientific ignorance about a field in which she supposedly has expertise, that makes her famous remarks about Alaska's proximity to Russia look like wisdom.
Fruit fly ...
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