Reply to comment
Satire is fair play - revised
September 11, 2008 by Fred Bortz, 1 year 10 weeks ago
Comment id: 31912
Reply
About us
Science Blog was started in August 2002. It lives, breathes and eats press releases from research organizations around the globe. Most of what you read here are press releases from the outfits named in the stories themselves. Got a news story you think belongs here? Let's talk. The other half of the equation is blog posts from readers like you. So if you have an interest in science, please register and join others like you in an ongoing, vibrant dialog about what makes the world tick. Meantime, please take a minute to read our Privacy Policy and Site Disclaimer.Recommended
Andrew Sullivan Dan Sullivan Doug Arellanes Emmanuelle Richard Faith Sullivan Fred Bortz Heather Havrilesky Henry Copeland Kate Sullivan Ken Layne lagreenbean.com LAist.com Maggie Sullivan Matt Welch NewYorkology Opinion L.A. Ron Kaye Slashdot Steve Elzer & Family TheNewsroom.org Thor Garcia Tony Pierce Wonkette OlderThanks CNET for naming Science Blog one of your Blog 100!
See P.S. at end for Marshall
johnbrandy,
A blog is a place for commentary as well as news. Satire is a well-respected form of commentary, shining light on the ridiculous through humor rather than direct attack or insult.
It can be embarrassing to respond seriously to a piece of satire, as you did. But when that happens, the only thing you can do is to admit that the joke is on you and laugh at your own, hopefully temporary, humor impairment. Then give credit to the satirist for managing to be so convincing about something as absurd on its face as "intelligent falling."
Fred Bortz, winner of bragging rights for first place in the American Physical Society's "Zero Gravity" limerick competition in 1999
P.S.: I saw Marshall's comment appear after mine, and wanted to add this. Satire is not simply humor. It is commentary of a very important kind. My only objection is that it is placed in the Physics and Numbers category rather than Bio and Medicine or Education and Outreach, which is where the target of the satire resides.
Fred Bortz -- Science and technology books for young readers (www.fredbortz.com) and Science book reviews (www.scienceshelf.com)