Evolution suffers Kansas setback

[Maggy J]

Thankfully this doesn't happen here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4419796.stm

[Jon M]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

Thankfully this doesn't happen here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4419796.stm

Whats so bad about questioning and testing.. isn't it a scientific principle you wish to promote within your pupils?

If a hypothesis holds up under scrutiny then it's done no harm, if it shows holes and flaws then it's immensely valuable because it helps to weed out things that are wrong.

The basic principles of scientific methodology are being upheld.

[Russ]

At LONG last.

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by Jon M

Whats so bad about questioning and testing.. isn't it a scientific principle you wish to promote within your pupils?

If a hypothesis holds up under scrutiny then it's done no harm, if it shows holes and flaws then it's immensely valuable because it helps to weed out things that are wrong.

The basic principles of scientific methodology are being upheld.

It's not that that I'm worried about-it's the fact that education can constantly be undermined by constant changing back and forth of ideology.Which is what keeps happening in places like Kansas.

[bmxbandit]

i'm not going to rehash the same old arguments, but i find this decision deeply worrying...


although, it looks like it isn't compulsory to teach any alternate theory to evolution, so i guess individual schools will make up their own minds

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Jon M

Whats so bad about questioning and testing.. isn't it a scientific principle you wish to promote within your pupils?

If a hypothesis holds up under scrutiny then it's done no harm, if it shows holes and flaws then it's immensely valuable because it helps to weed out things that are wrong.

The basic principles of scientific methodology are being upheld.

When I did physics, I don't recall the teacher being required to tell us that gravity was "only a theory" (see The Onion's report on "Intelligent Falling" for more details!)

But the hypothesis of "Intelligent Design" does *not* hold up under scrutiny, it does not follow the "basic principles of scientific methodology" so it should *not* be taught in a Science class (except, perhaps as an example of "this is how *not* to do it!")

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by Graham

When I did physics, I don't recall the teacher being required to tell us that gravity was "only a theory" (see The Onion's report on "Intelligent Falling" for more details!)

But the hypothesis of "Intelligent Design" does *not* hold up under scrutiny, it does not follow the "basic principles of scientific methodology" so it should *not* be taught in a Science class (except, perhaps as an example of "this is how *not* to do it!")

Like I said thankfully it doesn't happen here...and if it does I'm retiring...

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

It's not that that I'm worried about-it's the fact that education can constantly be undermined by constant changing back and forth of ideology.Which is what keeps happening in places like Kansas.

Just because you were taught something it doesnt mean its correct. Pardon the pun but developing our minds and discovering that we were wrong is part of evolution.

There are many things in life which are subjective and this is one of them, why force people to learn about a particular belief, surely its better to teach people to question rather than accept without proof?

[Jon M]

Originally Posted by Graham

When I did physics, I don't recall the teacher being required to tell us that gravity was "only a theory" (see The Onion's report on "Intelligent Falling" for more details!)

But the hypothesis of "Intelligent Design" does *not* hold up under scrutiny, it does not follow the "basic principles of scientific methodology" so it should *not* be taught in a Science class (except, perhaps as an example of "this is how *not* to do it!")

*sigh*
Stop dressing up your opinion as fact Graham.
Gravity was and is taught in isolation because there is no viable alternative, I would expect equal air time to alternative theories if they existed.
What relevance is the Onion, it's a joke/spoof site.

Intelligent design holds up to true scientific scrutiny, equally if not more strongly than evolution theory IMO, but I'm not getting into that debate again.

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by Wicked_and_Crazy

Just because you were taught something it doesnt mean its correct. Pardon the pun but developing our minds and discovering that we were wrong is part of evolution.

There are many things in life which are subjective and this is one of them, why force people to learn about a particular belief, surely its better to teach people to question rather than accept without proof?

But this application is not to promote understanding but to hinder it to the ideology of certain christien beliefs and then only to those of creationists..I'm not a christian and I would hate to think that under the guise of opening up for discussion simply meant thrusting christian beliefs down non christian throats.It's not opening anything up for debate merely muddying the waters of understanding.


You all have read the article I presume?

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Jon M

*sigh*
Stop dressing up your opinion as fact Graham.

[...]

Intelligent design holds up to true scientific scrutiny, equally if not more strongly than evolution theory IMO, but I'm not getting into that debate again.

I am not dressing up any opinion as fact (wheras the IMO in your paragraph above suggests something else... )

It is a fact that ID does not stand up to scientific scrutiny.

Whether you want to get into the debate again or not does not change this.

[patrickp]

Fortunately, there's always Flying Spaghetti Monsterism...

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Graham

When I did physics, I don't recall the teacher being required to tell us that gravity was "only a theory" (see The Onion's report on "Intelligent Falling" for more details!)

Required or not, it's still a theory, as no-one was there to witness it. Of course there is scientific formulae to reinforce it, but it's still a theory.

If you want to talk in terms of which theory has the more evidence to back it up then yes, evolution is the leader.

But as Jon says, please don't dress your opinion/theory up as fact.

In any case, I'm in favour of both evolution and ID being taught.

[cookie_365]

Originally Posted by Russ D

Required or not, it's still a theory, as no-one was there to witness it. Of course there is scientific formulae to reinforce it, but it's still a theory.

If you want to talk in terms of which theory has the more evidence to back it up then yes, evolution is the leader.

But as Jon says, please don't dress your opinion/theory up as fact.

In any case, I'm in favour of both evolution and ID being taught.

Russ, you're an intelligent person - I'm surprised that you don't know what the word 'theory' means

[Russ]

I'm sure I do?