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Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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The following is a quote from a recent NY Times article (8.21.05) and 
refers to the Discovery Institute:

"A closer look shows a multidimensional organization, financed by 
missionary and mainstream groups - the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 
provides $1 million a year, including $50,000 of Mr. Chapman's $141,000 
annual salary - and asserting itself on questions on issues as varied as 
local transportation and foreign affairs."

Why is that I, as a scientist and educator, suddenly feel that I should 
never buy another Microsoft product again and that perhaps that response 
could have an effect if whole institutions felt the same way?  Granted, 
I am a Mac person, but I had been softening toward Microsoft when I read 
about the money given to researching understudied third world 
diseases.   I now imagine a world where science centers and universities 
divest from Microsoft both from the user end and the investment end.  
Who knows if that would even make a dent in sales, but scientists 
wouldn't have to get up on the witness stand to have an effect on the 
"debate."

If you're looking for an alternate to Powerpoint, check out Apple's 
Keynote program.  It's under 50.00, comes bundled with a word processing 
program, and is very suitable for creative applications.  Of course,  
that is said without having investigated Apple's corporate giving 
strategy...



-Tinsley
Tinsley H. Davis, M.S.
Education Associate
Musuem of Science, Boston

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