NASA official Aug. 5 statement: “It has become clear that certain cosmic nicknames are not only insensitive but can be actively harmful. NASA is examining its use of unofficial terminology for cosmic objects as part of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion….The Agency will be working with diversity, inclusion, and equity experts in the astronomical and physical sciences to provide guidance and recommendations for other nicknames and terms for review.”
“NASA will no longer refer to planetary nebula NGC 2392 as the “Eskimo Nebula.” “Eskimo” is widely viewed as a colonial term with a racist history, imposed on the indigenous people of Arctic regions.” – “NASA will also no longer use the term ‘Siamese Twins Galaxy’ to refer to a pair of spiral galaxies.”
Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at Headquarters in DC: “Our goal is that all names are aligned with our values of diversity and inclusion, and we’ll proactively work with the scientific community to help ensure that.”
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Reaction was swift: “Seriously: Is this what is holding us back in space? Is the Sombrero Galaxy anti-Mexican? Is the Bullet cluster too violent? Should we now say “holes of color”? wrote Eric Weinstein. “Isn’t this mostly just wallowing?” he added. “Dwarf stars will henceforth be known as volumetrically challenged stars,” a Twitter critique noted.
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By: Marc Morano – Climate DepotAugust 8, 2020 11:08 AM with 0 comments
Climate Depot Special Report
NASA has dove into identity politics in recent months with two high profile NASA scientists shifting the focus from science to politics. NASA scientist Dr. Kate Marvel links ‘climate change’ to ‘white supremacy’ – ‘We’ll never head off climate catastrophe without dismantling white supremacy’ – Calls for climate & racial ‘justice’
In addition, other fields of science are going woke as well.Ornithologists Call For Allegedly Racist Bird Names To Be Changed – Some names ‘represent colonialism, racism and inequality’
Full NASA Statement:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-to-reexamine-nicknames-for-cosmic-objects
NASA to Reexamine Nicknames for Cosmic Objects
Distant cosmic objects such as planets, galaxies, and nebulae are sometimes referred to by the scientific community with unofficial nicknames. As the scientific community works to identify and address systemic discrimination and inequality in all aspects of the field, it has become clear that certain cosmic nicknames are not only insensitive, but can be actively harmful. NASA is examining its use of unofficial terminology for cosmic objects as part of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As an initial step, NASA will no longer refer to planetary nebula NGC 2392, the glowing remains of a Sun-like star that is blowing off its outer layers at the end of its life, as the “Eskimo Nebula.” “Eskimo” is widely viewed as a colonial term with a racist history, imposed on the indigenous people of Arctic regions. Most official documents have moved away from its use. NASA will also no longer use the term “Siamese Twins Galaxy” to refer to NGC 4567 and NGC 4568, a pair of spiral galaxies found in the Virgo Galaxy Cluster. Moving forward, NASA will use only the official, International Astronomical Union designations in cases where nicknames are inappropriate.
“I support our ongoing reevaluation of the names by which we refer to astronomical objects,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at Headquarters, Washington. “Our goal is that all names are aligned with our values of diversity and inclusion, and we’ll proactively work with the scientific community to help ensure that. Science is for everyone, and every facet of our work needs to reflect that value.” …
The Agency will be working with diversity, inclusion, and equity experts in the astronomical and physical sciences to provide guidance and recommendations for other nicknames and terms for review.
Many made jokes about NASA’s new initiative. “Dwarf stars will henceforth be known as volumetrically challenged stars,” a Twitter critic noted.
“This is silly. As long as Uranus doesn’t get changed I’ll be able to sleep at night though,” wrote another on Twitter.
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NASA has dove into identity politics in recent months with two high profile NASA scientists shifting the focus from science to politics. NASA scientist Dr. Kate Marvel links ‘climate change’ to ‘white supremacy’ – ‘We’ll never head off climate catastrophe without dismantling white supremacy’ – Calls for climate & racial ‘justice’
A NASA Jet Propulsion Lab climate scientist has linked race and climate issues during the racial protests sweeping the nation. NASA’s Peter Kalmus wrote:
“Here’s why race justice and climate justice are one & the same: The oppressive extractive plutocracies that colonize and kill black bodies and colonize and kill our planet are one and the same.”
Kalmus (peter.m.kalmus@jpl.nasa.gov) was responding to the protests and riots springing up across the country in the wake of allegations of racism in law enforcement. Kalmus added: “They’d literally rather have a race war than charge even one cop for murdering an innocent black man.”
And NASA’s Dr. Kate Marvel declared on June 1: “Climate justice and racial justice are the same thing, and we’ll never head off climate catastrophe without dismantling white supremacy.” Marvel is an Associate Research Scientist at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City.
In 2018, Marvel (katherine.d.marvel@nasa.gov) replied “DAMN RIGHT” when she tweeted out a Newsweek article titled: “Science Should Be A Feminist Institution.”
According to a 2018 article at Think Progress, “Marvel said she admires what Ocasio-Cortez and the Sunrise Movement activists are doing with appeals to support a Green New Deal.” According to Marvel: “What I do admire about that is the fact they are using new language. It’s not just, ‘Look at the sad polar bear,” Marvel said. “This is not talking about climate change like it’s this isolated issue. It’s talking about it in the context of all these other things that people care about. And I think that’s absolutely the right way to look at it,” she said.
Climate Depot Note: Climate activists have tried to link Racism and “white supremacy” to climate change for years. See: Identity politics invades climate change debate
Does Dr. Marvel also believe the “white man’s science” is different from other branches of science? See:2019: ‘White People’ blamed for causing Cyclone Idai in Africa – ‘Even the white man’s own science corroborates what we blacks know’
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Brown and White Dwarfs too?
This all has gone way over the top.
Can’t use brown, white or dwarfs. Looks like the English language is going to be down to 300 words.
So, what…brown dwarfs will now be “Little People of Color” stars?
Smaller, if you please , not little.
Red dwarfs are out too ( especially in Washington ) , native americans may be offended.
First nation, smaller galaxies is preferred.
The Sombrero galaxy will be next on the list : cultural appropriation !!
Just remember: black holes matter. Dark matter matters.
NASA doesn’t matter.
They all are turning the wheels, incredible….
Is ther nothing, that’s a bit more imortant than that BS ???
Taxpayers money misuse ^100
White Dwarfs, or rather their shredded remains, are progenitors to Rainbow Dwarfs, and Brown, Yellow, Orange, Albino, etc. Dwarfs only matter when they are politically congruent (“=”). And Baby Dwarfs are to be reduced, reused, and recycled (“cannibalized”) for social progress and their profitable parts.
The term white is not racist.
You are allowed to use derogatory terms to describe white people.
Additionally, sexism is not sexism when referring to men, and ageism is also not discriminatory when referring to you guessed it – old white men.
All old white men should be ashamed of themselves and not comment, as your comment will be deemed discriminatory.
I agree with what you say but I always fight back. I am highly offended at the term white privilege because that is a racist term intending to denigrate an entire race of people. Whenever I hear the terms you mention I will shout down the sexiest or the racist or whoever else made the disparaging comment. We just can’t let this happen.
Yeah, it’s fantastic for the USA that its democratic party was able to sort through all the diversity and come up with a candidate that’s an ……
….. hold on a sec !!!!
“Black” holes?
I remember the 1970s.
It’s difficult to express the gravity of the situation.
I want to escape this pointless pun filled sub thread but somehow find myself drawn in.
_________________________
.
.
Event horizon alert
Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!
The Red planet
Black Holes
African American Holes anyone ??
I think it was Hillary, while Bill was president, visited Africa, and started referring to the locals as African Americans.
There are a lot of whites, whose families have lived in Africa for several hundred years. If they moved to America, would they also be African Americans?
My recollection is that it was suggested by Jessy Jackson on the late 1980s.
Prior to that, mentioning “The Dark Continent” in the context of the place of origin of anyone who was not a recent immigrant from there, was strictly verboten.
Yes…here is a reference…it was a news conference in 1988:
https://sites.duke.edu/dukeengagecapetown16/2016/06/10/three-things-wrong-with-the-term-african-american/
“Jun 10, 2016 · The term African-American has crept steadily into the nation’s vocabulary since 1988, when the Rev. Jesse Jackson held a news conference to urge Americans to use it to refer to blacks”
“Moon child” is a racist term. I suggest we change “moon” to “that object in the night sky” or just name it “1”.
Luna
&
Sol
So that’s goodbye to the Big Dipper.
There goes NGC, the new N word.
Quarks and Muons are next. I’d love to go to a protest and call them that!
Woke and drowsy. Diversity dogma (i.e. class-based taxonomic systems, processes, and beliefs), not limited to racism, sexism, genderism, etc. is a progressive condition.
Black holes??? Supermassive Black holes???
Let’s just not even go there.
because we all know Black holes matter.
Venus -goddess of love and beauty- sexist
Mars -red planet- racist
You’re my hero, Joel, I couldn’t get away with that, you must know some mind tricks.
Joel… factually; Black holes = places where the sun don’t shine, or are you talking about Uranus ?
The French thought so. Trou noir….
Recall this?
https://www.unz.com/mmalkin/dallas-county-official-black-hole-is-racist/
Joel O’Brien “Black holes matter”.Come to Britain! You deserve a knighthood and your own chat show for that one!
Does Dark Matter Matter?
“Sun” sounds sexist.
Zhun. Fixed it for ya!
On the basis of “womyn”, how about “syn”?
How does one become a social justice, diversity, equity expert in the astronomical sciences? What is the criterion? Is there a measure of the stature of one against another?
Isn’t this just a fake way to expand inclusivity in science which doesn’t involve any achievement in science? I ask because I know of people who were in school with me and who moved since then into the diversity, and inspirational speaking hustle.
“How does one become a social justice, diversity, equity expert in the astronomical sciences?”
And how much does it pay?
White Dwarves, Red Giants, Deep Dank Black Holes? Aren’t they mixing up the work of the Brothers Grimm with what they are supposed to be doing? They should be contemplating the works of Ray Bradbury and Edgar Rice Burroughs during their day instead.
Beware the ruthless hunter of extravagance and frivolity known as ‘Budget Cut’.
In the name of all other appearance-challenged individuals, I demand they change the name of the Horsehead Nebula. I find it hurtful.
Of course, as always, The Babylon Bee is right on it…
https://babylonbee.com/news/infographic-the-official-nasa-guide-to-more-inclusive-space-terms
The Butterfly Nebula
https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2526.html
Insectist
In the old east Germany, GDR, with strong atheistic attributes, didn’t have Chrismastrees but “Year end trees”, and the chocolate Father Christmas was a “year-end chocolate hollow body”
It may be possible that these polemic names have been satirical outgrowths, but they existed, as the the “End-of-year wing figure” existed -guess, what it was 😀
“Eskimo” is widely viewed as a colonial term with a racist history, imposed on the indigenous people of Arctic regions.”
Maybe in Canada and Greenland. Not in the US. Alaskan Eskimos are not “Inuit”, but Eskimos. No other term applies to all Eskimo groups, ie the Inuit of Greenland and eastern Canada, the Iñupiat of western Canada and northern Alaska and the Yupik of western Alaska and easternmost Siberia.
Clearly, the snowflakes at NASA didn’t bother to consult with the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission:
https://www.ktoo.org/2018/12/06/reactions-from-utqiagvik-on-a-whaling-quota-rule-change-we-dont-have-to-beg-anymore/
Academics in Alaska have tried to get US Eskimos to adopt Canadian PC usage, but with limited success at best. American Eskimos are not Inuit.
( expletive deleted ) A right. I’m Aleut. You ( censored ) better call me “Eskimo” when it’s appropriate. I qualify.
The Eskimo-Aleut Language Family is being renamed.
How about the Washington Flaring Red Dwarves?
I suppose GE and Frigidaire will complain about naming a galaxy after their competition: Whirlpool Galaxy.
And the Cigar Galaxy is most likely offensive to Hillary Clinton.
I suppose you are referring to the Milky Way on the blue dress?
That’s funny.
And elsewhere, AFAIK. 😎
The funding needs to be cut, these people have to much spare time on their hands. We are all born stupid and some work very hard to stay that way.
“[NASA] will be working with diversity, inclusion, and equity experts”. That should be enough. Why would they need any other employees?
https://twitter.com/TheBabylonBee/status/1292192619393671168
the bee stings nasa 🙂
Well, being white, I’m highly offended by that racist restaurant chain that calls itself Cracker Barrel.
Ofcourse Nasa have to take political correctness seriously they don’t want to be seen as the n i g g er in the wood pile do they.
Not Always Silly Asshats.
Wouldn’t that be NOT seen?
Interesting that NASA broke their new policy in announcing it
So glad that everything that can be learned from space has been learned, and now NASA has the time and resources to tackle these sorts of problems. If this is the level of silliness that NASA feels compelled to participate in, perhaps some budget cuts are in order to fund some less absurd aspect of government, if there are any left.
Second, deciding to play in the Wokeness Olympics is a sure-fire loser. Once you begin to capitulate to the supposed sensitivity of the intellectual snowflakes, you’ve demonstrated your weakness to resisting insanity and there will be no end to the demands made of you. Today it’s the “Siamese Twins Galaxy”. Tomorrow it may be NGC 4567 because it’s numbers and math itself is now deemed racist.
And in less than a generation, the stars will cease to be cataloged at all and will revert to being those little twinkling lights in the sky that people see once they walk away from the bonfire that keeps them warm at night.
These politically incorrect names are “harmful” in what way? In the way that poor Orca Winfrey has been held down by White Privilege?
Believing that the stars influence happenings on Earth is called “Astrology.” Believing that our names for stars influence happenings on Earth is called another really stupid use of your tax dollars.
Sigh . . . I guess professional and amateur astronomers alike will no longer be able to say that “black holes matter” or even “black holes consume matter”.
And, hey, how insensitive can one be to refer to “white dwarfs”, or even the “color” of stars? Sol no longer to be referred to as a “yellow dwarf” (doubly offensive) star on the main sequence of a H-R Diagram. The “red shift” must not be mentioned six months from now, for fear of offending.
Life is certainly not what it used to be, sadly.
Some, Select Black Holes… Whores (h/t NAACP) Matter is a Pro-Choice sect of the Progressive Church.
Wow, in spite of my user name, just maybe the sky IS falling…
I’ve been an amateur astronomer since I was a teenager in the 1960s, when I used to lust after Unitron refractors, among other things…
This is stupidity on steroids. If they have the time and the taxpayer money to waste on things like this, I say cut their budget by at least 50%. Let the private sector do what needs to be done, more cheaply and effectively without the government screwing it up. NASA’s bureaucracy doesn’t “do science” – they apparently do what bureaucracies do, which is waste money that’s not theirs and then they dream of newer ways to waste it, that have no benefit. NASA does not define what we call the stars, nebulae and galaxies, etc. – that they think they can “officially” change this, shows their hubris which is not at all warranted, anyway.
I will not be changing my vocabulary just because they want to refer to everything by their NGC numbers. NASA shows how useless they have become by trying to force political correctness on to astronomy.
Probably that was the Large Magellanic Cloud, which is the nearest and brightest galaxy in our local group of about 51 galaxies:
—
Sounds about right. I seem recall Magellan get a mention :o)
What about the Magellan Clouds? There’s another name that has to go. It seems Magellan was a slave owner.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrique_of_Malacca
Enrique of Malacca was a member of the Magellan–Elcano expedition that completed the first circumnavigation of the world in 1519–1522. He was acquired as a slave by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1511 at the age of 14 years….
Change ‘Large Magellanic Cloud’ to ‘Large White Entitlement Cloud’?
Diversity and exclusion, not limited to racism, sexism, genderism?, breeds adversity. They need to lose their Pro-Choice, selective, opportunistic quasi-religion (“ethics”). Stop exercising liberal license to indulge color judgments (e.g. denial of individual dignity, denial of individual conscience, affirmative discrimination, color quotas, color blocs).
Coming up with nonsense like this is what people do, when they don’t have real jobs.
Clearly, NASA needs to be RIFed, with extreme prejudice.
The NASA employees previously assigned the agency’s main mission of promoting the glories of Islamic Science have been repurposed.