Categories
Evolution Medicine Science

The winner!

The winners of the Alliance for Science essay contest that I mentioned a couple of months ago, where high school students were asked to write an essay of 1,000 words or less about the topic Why would I want my doctor to have studied evolution?, have been announced.

My only question is why the actual essays aren’t posted on the Alliance’s website. I did find, however, that the winner, Gregory Simonian, has a blog, where he describes his struggle to write the winning essay:

I’ll give you some behind-the-scenes commentary. I had a super tough time cutting that essay within the word limit. I had to get rid of an entire section about the Tripoli Six (Six foreign doctors in Libya sentenced for infecting kids with HIV, even though new research found that it was impossible. For more detail, search scienceblogs.com, they’ll have more detail than you can ever use). Even then, I had to kinda get rid of a few adjectives in that essay. I believe the final word could was 3 under the maximum. I never thought I would have so much to say.

Yeah, as one of the more–shall we say?–verbose bloggers out there, I can feel your pain.

I just wish that I could read the results. I hope The Alliance for Science posts the winning essays soon. I’d be happy to link to them. It’d also be hilarious to see the reaction of everyone’s favorite creationist neurosurgeon, Dr. Egnor, who had waxed so indignant about the very concept behind this contest.

In any case, head on over to cactaur’s (a.k.a. Gregory Simonian’s) blog and congratulate him!

I also note that two of the winners come from New Jersey. Maybe this will help counteract the taint brought upon the state due to the Matthew LaClair case, which was recently settled.

By Orac

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.

That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: [email protected]

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