WILMAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Does it matter if national leaders believe that dinosaurs and humans walked the earth together?

The LA Times has an article asserting that Sarah Palin has said that they did. I’m not convinced by the evidence in the article, so I won’t judge Palin by it (as if it matters at this point…), but I’m more interested in the larger question.

Scientific facts like this don’t really make a difference in decisions related to the economy, foreign policy, or even very high-level research funding. Operationally, it wouldn’t be that big a deal. What would worry me is the sort of thought process it indicates. Rejecting such a large volume of scientific evidence takes a certain mindset, and I think that sort of mindset is what got us into Iraq while ignoring and suppressing the information that countered the case for war.

I wonder if there’s a high correlation between people who believe Saddam was involved with 9/11 and people who believe dinosaurs and humans lived together for some time.