ATTN: Texas residents, School board challenges EVOLUTION

[Yminale]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123777413372910705.html

If you live in Texas, please contact the Texas school board and tell them that children need to learn real science like evolution.

 

[Yminale]

http://ncseweb.org/?gclid=CLv8l56KwZkCFdhL5QodfEZ-ug

for more information

 

[OmahaStar]

Isn't this the sort of thing we expect from Kansas? But, that is the state that gave us Dumb?ya, so it's, I guess, typical.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Yes, and it's also the state where people that figured out the complex word problem "how to get 3 astronauts in a dying spacecraft on a lunar trajectory back home" happen to live.

 

[TheMasterOfOrion]

Yes, and it's also the state where people that figured out the complex word problem "how to get 3 astronauts in a dying spacecraft on a lunar trajectory back home" happen to live.

stop being so arrogant, if you don't stay ahead in science others will pass you buy

Texas ain't all that, the Ruskies got people back home safely from space before "Texas" ever figured that shit out


Texas is a cool state with very nice people
but it also can be a bit crazy

Texas March madness

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/03/17/texas-march-madness/

Over at Skepchick, Sam — a triple threat of good looks, intelligence/skepticism, and writing skills — has a complete breakdown of the situation in Texas where Constitution-shredding creationists are trying to indoctrinate kids into their own little bubble of antireality.
In a week, the Texas State Board of Education will vote on the final standards to be adopted for science education in their state. Remember, Texas is a huge state, and they drive the textbook publishers’ business. If Texas decides that evolution is wrong, or they push their phony "academic freedom" nonsense (as long as that freedom doesn’t extend to things they don’t like, such as science) , then textbook publishers will roll over and make their books to follow suit. Those books will then get sold all over the country.
So this is not a joke. This is serious.
Sam has clear instructions in his post on what you can do to save the Lone Star State, and save the rest of the country. If you live in Texas, please go take a look, and then take action.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/03/17/texas-march-madness/

 

[Brent]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123777413372910705.html

If you live in Texas, please contact the Texas school board and tell them that children need to learn real science like evolution.

Evolution is just a theory, it may not have happened that way.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Arrogant? Bah, I was merely pointing out that the post above mine was painting people with a pretty broad brush by calling the acts of a less than brilliant government (or government employee, or elected official) typical of the entire populace of a state.

I mean if someone said the state you lived in was populated by nothing but arseholes, I'm certain you'd take exception to that statement. Yes?

 

[Alpha_Geek]

... the Ruskies got people back home safely from space before "Texas" ever figured that shit out...

Really? I was referring to the Apollo 13 mission in my initial post,specifically how the Houston team came up so many successful contingency plans under the worst time pressure imaginable. I wasn't aware that any of the now defunct Warsaw Pact nations had a successful moon program during the 60's or since. Please cite a manned Soviet or Russian circumlunar mission, successful or otherwise.

Thanks!

 

[flux_29]

Why can't they just teach evolution in science, and teach them about God, Adam & Eve and Genesis in religious studies?

 

[Dayton3]

Evolution is not real anyway. At least not the way it is taught in schools.

For any questions read "Icons of Evolution".

In particular read about the "Kettlewell Speckled Moth Hoax" which for DECADES was being taught at the college level as being

"the best example of evolution in action we have today".

Trouble being, the Kettlewell Speckled Moth example being given in biology textbooks DID NOT HAPPEN!!.

And ardent evolutionists like the late Stephen Jay Gould KNEW IT WAS FAKE yet SAID NOTHING!!!

Why?

Because as one evolutionist said

"Just how complex do you want to make this stuff for students..."

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Flying Spaghetti Monster for the win!

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Doesn't Texas want independence? let them have it.

 

[Dayton3]

Doesn't Texas want independence? let them have it.

Really?

And say goodbye to 25% of U.S. domestic oil production not to mention a big chunk of U.S. electrical power produced by wind?

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Doesn't Texas want independence? let them have it.

Really?

And say goodbye to 25% of U.S. domestic oil production not to mention a big chunk of U.S. electrical power produced by wind?

With all that wind power Texas won't need the oil and will sell it to you for cheap.

 

[TerriO]

Let's keep it on the science, and not the politics, please.

I know, it's difficult, but can we at least try?

 

[The Sneeze Police]

Is this something new? When I went to Jr High & High School in the 70's in Texas, our teachers weren't supposed to teach evolution theory. My parents just made sure I read & learned about it elsewhere.

 

[The Badger]

Evolution is just a theory, it may not have happened that way.

Evolution is both fact AND theory.
That sounds contradictory, but it isn't really. Whilst in colloquial use a 'theory' is just an idea, second string to a fact, in it's strict scientific definition a theory is an explanation for a fact.
We know, beyond all reasonable doubt, that evolution occurred. The fossil evidence alone demonstrates that. As does our recent discoveries in the field of genetics. The process has even been directly observed in bacteria.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14094-bacteria-make-major-evolutionary-shift-in-the-lab.html
The theory of evolution, by means of natural selection, is our explanation for the facts. In the one and a half centuries since Darwin published 'Origin...' it is a theory that has been critically examined time and time again and has always shown it's worth.
Now it is possible that eventually a better theory, a better explanation comes along. This is the nature of science. But whilst the theory may change, that in itself will not alter the facts, no more than changing from the Newtonian view of gravity to the Einsteinian one altered the speed at which objects fell. It is also possible that new evidence throws doubt onto our interpretation of the available evidence, in which case reasonable doubt may be thrown onto evolution (J.B.S. Haldane, when asked what would prove evolution false, suggested 'Fossilised rabbits in the Precambrian).
But until new evidence is discovered, or new theories are developed, evolution by means of natural selection is the best scientific explanation for the development and diversity of life.

 

[Dayton3]

Given that only a tiny percentage of fossils are believed to have survived erosion and various other changes to the modern day, then relying on a fossil "record" as "evidence" seems questionable at best.

The fossil "record" is more like a fossil "remnant".

 

[Arrqh]

Given that only a tiny percentage of fossils are believed to have survived erosion and various other changes to the modern day, then relying on a fossil "record" as "evidence" seems questionable at best.

Your understand on the subject is clearly not very accurate; there's plenty of literature available online and in print if you'd like to learn more about evolution and the theory behind it. The way your dismissing it out of hand is doing you no favors.

That sounds contradictory, but it isn't really. Whilst in colloquial use a 'theory' is just an idea, second string to a fact, in it's strict scientific definition a theory is an explanation for a fact.

And how!

Gravity exists. The theory of gravity is the attempt to explain the mechanism through which it functions. Similarly, evolution exists. The theory of evolution is the attempt to explain the mechanism through which it functions. It's always unfortunate when people don't understand the details of the science that they're discussing... and even more unfortunate when those people are in the position to set policy and stunt the scientific growth of children.

 

[PurpleBuddha]

Given that only a tiny percentage of fossils are believed to have survived erosion and various other changes to the modern day, then relying on a fossil "record" as "evidence" seems questionable at best.

Your understand on the subject is clearly not very accurate; there's plenty of literature available online and in print if you'd like to learn more about evolution and the theory behind it. The way your dismissing it out of hand is doing you no favors.

That sounds contradictory, but it isn't really. Whilst in colloquial use a 'theory' is just an idea, second string to a fact, in it's strict scientific definition a theory is an explanation for a fact.

And how!

Gravity exists. The theory of gravity is the attempt to explain the mechanism through which it functions. Similarly, evolution exists. The theory of evolution is the attempt to explain the mechanism through which it functions. It's always unfortunate when people don't understand the details of the science that they're discussing... and even more unfortunate when those people are in the position to set policy and stunt the scientific growth of children.

Meh. Even his example about Gould was used by him a long time ago and thoughly debunked as a lie to the point where he quit posting. Now, again, he is merely trying to feed people here things he knows is propaganda hoping that they true distrust the scientific method. After all, why should we proceed by observation when can rely on a 2000+ year old book and revelation? The fact that he has to relying on propaganda easily demonstrated as false, says something for the weakness of his position.

Science, the process of learning through observation, is the enemy to people like Dayton. Observing the real world leads to knowledge, and knowledge is very dangerous to the religion of a zealot.