I think those folks are all fools, one side for actually believing the Ark myth and the other for wasting time protesting. As for the state helping finance it, it looks like they'll get a good return on their investment.
As for trying to refute the Ark story with science, I have learned that there is no point in trying to do so, or trying to refute science with religion.
Those who believe the Ark story was meant to be taken as a literal event in history that encompassed the entire planet are those who have zero interest in, or (alternatively) ability to learn, the fundamentals of the life sciences.
