Dumb Cup: Recipe for a steaming cup of something

Steve Mirsky in Scientific American:Darwin

On a chilly, late March day I was happily sipping a Starbucks half-caf when I caught a glimpse of a friend’s cup and narrowly avoided performing a Danny Thomas-style spit take. On the side of the paper cup was printed:

The Way I See It #224 “Darwinism’s impact on traditional social values has not been as benign as its advocates would like us to believe. Despite the efforts of its modern defenders to distance themselves from its baleful social consequences, Darwinism’s connection with eugenics, abortion and racism is a matter of historical record. And the record is not pretty.”–Dr. Jonathan Wells, biologist and author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Darwinism and Intelligent Design.

I knew that Starbucks roasted the hell out of their beans, but I didn’t realize they published half-baked ideas. A visit to the Starbucks Web site turned up an explanation: “To get people talking, ‘The Way I See It’ is a collection of thoughts, opinions and expressions provided by notable figures that now appear on our widely shared cups.” Further, the cups are supposed to extend “the coffeehouse culture–a way to promote open, respectful conversation among a wide variety of individuals.” Fair enough, although an open, respectful conversation initiated by a closed, disrespectful assertion is going to be a challenge, especially without any context. Nevertheless, I’d like to suggest some other quotes for Starbucks cups in the hopes that they, too, may stimulate piping-hot conversations.

The Way I See It #Too “Popular, palatable views of the world and how it came to be do not constitute science or truth. But decent science education requires that we share the truth we find–whether or not we like it.”–Lynn Margulis, Distinguished Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst

More here.