Ben Bova on creationism in schools

Crazy_Vasey · Post by **Crazy_Vasey** » 2003-01-22 12:15pm

http://www.benbova.net/sci-teaching.htm

I knew there was a reason I liked this guys writing

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2003-01-22 12:21pm

Hear hear! Well written, well said. And I totally agree.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-01-22 12:22pm

Wow... That was very well written.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-01-22 12:24pm

It is always amazing to me how so many people fail to have any sort of grasp of the scientific method and of peer review. It's even worse when it's someone like the guy in the essay. He's supposed to be teaching science?

Maybe that's the problem. High School and lower science classes are more about teaching "facts" than teaching kids how to be a scientist or think logically and critically. If all you are teaching is "facts" without understanding them then it's no wonder we have idiots like this choosing to dispute what he's supposed to be teaching.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-01-22 12:30pm

Posted at GP4Teens.com now.

I wonder how long it will be until one of them starts with the "m0nk4yZ!!1 we'RE n0T M0NKEY5!!11" bullshit.

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2003-01-22 12:33pm

I wish I had that essay when I was taking a philosophy class discussing religion. Then again it probably wouldn't had changed the outcome.

Crazy_Vasey · Post by **Crazy_Vasey** » 2003-01-22 12:36pm

Arrow Mk84 wrote:I wish I had that essay when I was taking a philosophy class discussing religion. Then again it probably wouldn't had changed the outcome.

Out of curiousity what was the outcome then? I guess it wasn't too great from the way you talk about it?

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2003-01-22 12:36pm

I am so tired of the idiot creationists repeating the same old crap about their misconceptions about evolution and biology. They just don't get it, or maybe, they just refuse to get it. Either way, I wish they would shut up.

Crazy_Vasey · Post by **Crazy_Vasey** » 2003-01-22 12:37pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Posted at GP4Teens.com now.

I wonder how long it will be until one of them starts with the "m0nk4yZ!!1 we'RE n0T M0NKEY5!!11" bullshit.

I don't get people like that. Evolution made sense to me when I was all of 6 when I came across it in a children's encyclopedia (do any kids actually read those things now?)

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2003-01-22 12:43pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Posted at GP4Teens.com now.

I wonder how long it will be until one of them starts with the "m0nk4yZ!!1 we'RE n0T M0NKEY5!!11" bullshit.

Such people seem to prove evolution can run both ways

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2003-01-22 12:53pm

Well, they seem to think that an invisible supernatural big Jew in the sky makes more sense than biology's natural explanations. How do you reason with someone like that?

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2003-01-22 12:55pm

You don't.

They wish to believe they are governed because nothing is random and everything as long as you believe in the right divine being will turn out a-okay for you and your ilk.

Sorta sickening to think lots of religons paint a very us vs them ideal.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2003-01-22 12:56pm

Superman wrote:Well, they seem to think that an invisible supernatural big Jew in the sky makes more sense than biology's natural explanations. How do you reason with someone like that?

Well since theories are useless....introduce them to two.....gravity and EM-repulsion.....oh....and the engineering of very very tall things.....

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-01-22 12:59pm

keevan, damnit, stop insulting the monkeys

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2003-01-22 01:00pm

kojikun wrote:keevan, damnit, stop insulting the monkeys

Aw.

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2003-01-22 05:46pm

Crazy_Vasey wrote:
Arrow Mk84 wrote:I wish I had that essay when I was taking a philosophy class discussing religion. Then again it probably wouldn't had changed the outcome.
Out of curiousity what was the outcome then? I guess it wasn't too great from the way you talk about it?

Very little change in people view points. The science minded students couldn't change the religious nuts and vice-versa. However, a fair number of people agreed that creation is just a metaphor, which counts as a highlight; but they still think a divine plan is in play and discount evolution as the major shaper of life.

The fun part was watching the class fundie get blasted by everyone for not questioning the bible enough (science people: "Its a friggin book written by some on a power trip!"; religious people: "what good is your faith in God if you question it or think about it?").

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2003-01-22 06:27pm

The problem is that kids don't understand evolution, which is why they're easily fooled by Creationists, as seen at GP4Teens. I believe in science class, they need to learn to understand it.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-01-22 06:38pm

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi wrote:The problem is that kids don't understand evolution, which is why they're easily fooled by Creationists, as seen at GP4Teens. I believe in science class, they need to learn to understand it.

That is further compounded when they got to Christian schools and are taught evolution, when it is even brought up, by people that don't understand it.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-01-22 06:53pm

Crazy_Vasey wrote: I knew there was a reason I liked this guys writing

From his website:

"More than that, is the FACT that there are abundant natural resources in space: staggering plentitudes of energy and raw materials, all the resources the human race needs to end the poverty that breeds terrorism and war."

Uhm, yeah sure. Right.

War never changes, to quote Fallout. The reasons may change, but the
same basic tenets stay the same. We will fight over strategic locations
in the solar system, over asteroid fields full of rare minerals, etc etc.

To believe that simply by going into space, we'll end several THOUSAND
years of recorded human conflict is wonderfully naive.

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-01-22 07:38pm

MKSheppard wrote:War never changes, to quote Fallout. The reasons may change, but the same basic tenets stay the same. We will fight over strategic locations in the solar system, over asteroid fields full of rare minerals, etc etc.

To believe that simply by going into space, we'll end several THOUSAND
years of recorded human conflict is wonderfully naive.

I agree wholeheartedly, but the guy is still right about the fact that evolution theory should be taught in class, and creationism shouldn't.

jaeger115 · Post by **jaeger115** » 2003-01-22 09:09pm

Uhm, yeah sure. Right.

War never changes, to quote Fallout. The reasons may change, but the
same basic tenets stay the same. We will fight over strategic locations
in the solar system, over asteroid fields full of rare minerals, etc etc.

To believe that simply by going into space, we'll end several THOUSAND
years of recorded human conflict is wonderfully naive.

True. Damn true.

Fallout, the game from Interplay, right?

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Ben Bova on creationism in schools

Ben Bova on creationism in schools

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Re: Ben Bova on creationism in schools