Thousands register for geophysicist’s lecture after MIT caved to ‘Twitter mob’
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Re: Thousands register for geophysicist’s lecture after MIT caved to ‘Twitter mob’
#2Registration link (the topic is "Climate and the Potential for Life on Other Planets"): https://princeton.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aBSONFUDTJGsxH...
Re: Thousands register for geophysicist’s lecture after MIT caved to ‘Twitter mob’
#3I'm glad Princeton has decided to host this. It seems somehow worse that MIT cancelled a science talk since if one of the most respected engineering schools cannot resist calls for censorship by a twitter mob then who can?
Thinking about why academia is especially susceptible to this, it seems like most faculty and staff there are in a position not unlike a high priest or clergy member in that they wield a lot of power as long as they are in the organization but have little or none in their own right and if they lost their position the likelihood of regaining it is very small. So what they all want to minimize is the risk of gaining the attention of a vengeful twitter mob. Its not like there is really a corresponding gain to the individual for standing up for academic freedom to balance the equation.
Re: Thousands register for geophysicist’s lecture after MIT caved to ‘Twitter mob’
#4It is amazing to me that a handful of people on twitter can get people cancelled, while thousands of people can march in the streets (such as in many parts of Europe, or in New York City) and be completely ignored.
Re: Thousands register for geophysicist’s lecture after MIT caved to ‘Twitter mob’
#5Sample size of 1, but the cancellation had an alum tell me his "brass rat felt heavier", and that he relegated it to his desk drawer, at least for now.
Re: Thousands register for geophysicist’s lecture after MIT caved to ‘Twitter mob’
#6"he’d recently argued academic evaluations should be based on merit."
Oh no. But, but, what will all of our corporate sponsors say? Save the grants! Number of papers published? Our image? Our endowments! However will we afford to have more bureaucrats than teachers? /s
That rot was already afoot in the 60s. Twitter's just another excuse for the sycophants behind that curtain, now whispering 'Epstein!''
Re: Thousands register for geophysicist’s lecture after MIT caved to ‘Twitter mob’
#7> MIT told him it was canceling the lecture to “avoid controversy” after students and recent alumni demanded he be uninvited because he’d recently argued academic evaluations should be based on merit.
Damn, I assumed he said something racist maybe, but this is what the issue was about, I just lost all respect for MIT.
Re: Thousands register for geophysicist’s lecture after MIT caved to ‘Twitter mob’
#899.9% of the people registering aren't actually going to attend and don't care at all about the content of the lecture.
Princeton has exceeded their "Zoom quota" once and had to increase it to accommodate additional registrations. Is there some limit that they absolutely cannot exceed? Will they have to close registration at some point?
If so, then many people that were interested in the content of the lecture will be unable to view it. So... he is effectively going to be cancelled by the anti-cancellers.
Re: Thousands register for geophysicist’s lecture after MIT caved to ‘Twitter mob’
#9I'm glad Princeton has decided to host this. It seems somehow worse that MIT cancelled a science talk since if one of the most respected engineering schools cannot resist calls for censorship by a twitter mob then who can? Thinking about why academia is especially susceptible to this, it seems like most faculty and staff there are in a position not unlike a high priest or clergy member in that they wield a lot of pow…
I mean, MIT also has him speaking. It's just not a talk to the public but is limited to graduate students and professors.
Re: Thousands register for geophysicist’s lecture after MIT caved to ‘Twitter mob’
#1099.9% of the people registering aren't actually going to attend and don't care at all about the content of the lecture. Princeton has exceeded their "Zoom quota" once and had to increase it to accommodate additional registrations. Is there some limit that they absolutely cannot exceed? Will they have to close registration at some point? If so, then many people that were interested in the content of the lecture will b…
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