Waiting For The NASA Science Word Police

CDC gets list of forbidden words: fetus, transgender, diversity, Washington Post

"The Trump administration is prohibiting officials at the nation's top public health agency from using a list of seven words or phrases - including "fetus" and "transgender" - in any official documents being prepared for next year's budget. Policy analysts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta were told of the list of forbidden words at a meeting Thursday with senior CDC officials who oversee the budget, according to an analyst who took part in the 90-minute briefing. The forbidden words are "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity," "transgender," "fetus," "evidence-based" and "science-based." In some instances, the analysts were given alternative phrases. Instead of "science-based" or "evidence-based," the suggested phrase is "CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes," the person said. In other cases, no replacement words were immediately offered."

Keith's note: What science-related words might be banned at NASA? "Science-based" or "evidence-based" seem to be natural ones since CDC can't use them. "Climate change" is also a no-brainer since NASA studies a planet called Earth and NOAA and EPA have already had some guidance on that. With regard to Astrobiology "origin and evolution of life" might be a ripe target too. On the other hand, maybe we'll get lucky and NASA will be forced to stop saying "notional" on every powerpoint slide they show and say "we're just guessing" instead.

from NASA Watch http://ift.tt/2AUzOSQ
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