Bye bye baroness!

I've got to say that I'm glad that Baroness Susan Greenfield has been given the boot from her job as director of the Royal Institution. That stuff that she has been preaching all around the world (including much coverage on Australia's national broadcaster) about computer use supposedly destroying children's brains and impairing people's social skills has been rightly criticised by people such as myself and Dr Ben Goldacre. Where's the evidence to support such claims? Nowhere, apparently. But the thing that really bothered me about the baroness's claims was the apparent lack of respect for geek culture. This woman really does seem to have strong prejudices against the world of computer technology and computer-based communication and recreation, and the types of people who utilize, enjoy and master these worlds. And who are these people? I'd guess that males and autists are very much over-represented in these computerized cultures. So does the baroness suffer from autiphobia and misandry? I'm sure she does. Autiphobia and misandry are so very fashionable these days amongst British intellectuals and the privileged classes all around the world, and the baroness is obviously a fashion-conscious lady.

"Susan Greenfield sacking: Now the Royal Institution can focus on science."
Martin Robbins
Science Blog
Guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2010/jan/11/susan-greenfield-sacking-royal-institution


"Top scientist Susan Greenfield told to quit her job – and her flat"
Robin McKie and Sajeev Syal
The Observer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/jan/10/greenfield-redundancy-royal-institution