While appearing on CNN’s “New Day Saturday,” self-styled “science guy” Bill Nye demonstrated that he’s as knowledgeable about the U.S. Constitution as he is about scientific method.
“If you suppress science, if you pretend climate change isn’t a real problem, you will fall behind other countries that do invest in science, that do invest in basic research,” he said during a discussion on the so-called “March for Science.” He then added:
And it is interesting to note, I think, that Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution refers to the progress of science and the useful arts. Useful arts in 18th Century usage would be what we call engineering or city planning or architecture.
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But the Constitution’s Copyright Clause, which is what Nye was citing, actually reads:
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.
In other words, the clause is in no way a blueprint for government-funded science, as Nye is implying, but rather a legal framework for protecting intellectual property rights.
Nor is this the first time Nye has misquoted the Constitution. Per The Daily Caller:
Nye’s used the argument before to underscore how “unpatriotic” it is to not have the federal government hand out billions of taxpayer dollars to universities, corporations and research institutions.
“Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution says the government shall ‘promote the progress of science and useful arts,’” Nye told Vox in 2015 — Vox didn’t correct him or fact check his claim.
“So if you’re a politician looking to derail the progress of science, I think you’re not doing your job,” Nye said.
And, like last time, he’s 100 percent incorrect.
Keep in mind that Nye once suggested that those who don’t believe liberal dogma on global warming should be thrown in jail.
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