Dan M wrote: >> Not in school, and not in science class. In comparative religion, >> maybe, but it's hard enough to teach good science without adding a >> load of creation myths to the course. And that's the issue - "Both >> sides"? No - because if they allow "both sides" they have to allow ALL >> sides. That means Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Aboriginal... If you really >> wanted to cover what EVERY religion says about creation, there >> wouldn't be time for any science at all. >> > > I'm not sure if teaching "both sides" cannot be done in a course that > teaches science. It requires, though, a course on science itself, not on > any particular science. > > But, that's not a bad thing. In the US, we have bio, chem, physics, and > general science or earth science as the options for 4 years of science. A > one year course on how science works, drawing from simple examples in > biology, physics, cosmology, etc...including discussions of how theories are > actually developed, changed, etc. would be worthwhile. > The problem with teaching creationism in a science class is that it does not meet the minimum standard for scientific theory. A scientific theory needs to make testable, falsifiable claims, and has to pass when the test is done. That is absolutely fundamental, and I have never seen anything like that come from a creationist. They cannot distinguish between a theory and an hypothesis (what they call a theory is in fact an hypothesis), so I doubt they will ever get there.
BTW, anyone remember the classic Franken and Davis skit from SNL about this? Al Franken plays a "Pat Robertson" type and Davis plays a Native American shaman-type. They start off in agreement about the importance of religion, and how awful those secular types are, and then get into a huge disagreement about which one is the deluded one and which has the true religion. BTW, Dan, you were at the convention as I recall. Any good stories? Regards, -- Kevin B. O'Brien TANSTAAFL [EMAIL PROTECTED] Linux User #333216 If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking. . . is freedom. - Dwight D. Eisenhower _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
