Creation Wins!!! or Fundies try and fail to do science

[Plekhanov]

Christian Academy Science Fair winners named

Judy Doerr, the science teacher for middle school students at Pawleys Island Christian Academy (PICA), says she is very pleased with this year’s science fair projects.

“This is the third year we have held the science fair at PICA and I am excited about the variety of projects the students have created,” Doerr said. “This is the first year we introduced the behavioral sciences and they have totally latched onto this new category.”

During the fair, students were required to present their project to three different judges, explaining how they formed their hypothesis and reached their conclusion. They also answered the judges’ questions.

“What I really love to see is the kids doing the oral presentations,” Doerr said. “On the spot, these students have to talk with three people they do not know, and they have to be able to speak well.”

As part of the science curriculum at the school, all 24 middle school students were required to create a science project, which counts as a test grade. They also had to keep a journal, recounting all of their deliberations while going through the scientific process.

Hunter Bass, a seventh-grade student, did her project on “Testing Behavioral Incentives.” She talked to preschoolers and teachers to find out if there was a difference in what motivates boys versus girls. “I found out that boys respond more to prizes, while girls liked hugs more,” Bass said.
She won third place in the Behavioral Science category.

Gary Dean, another seventh-grade student, explored the causes of sink holes. Although he did not win a prize, he learned a lot about the subject.
“Sink holes are formed (when) people pump oil out of the ground and they don’t put water down there to replace the oil that was taken out,” Dean said. “It makes the sand collapse because there is nothing to replace it.”

Brian Benson, an eighth-grade student who won first place in the Life Science/Biology category for his project “Creation Wins!!!,” says he disproved part of the theory of evolution. Using a rolled-up paper towel suspended between two glasses of water with Epsom Salts, the paper towel formed stalactites. He states that the theory that they take millions of years to develop is incorrect.

“Scientists say it takes millions of years to form stalactites,” Benson said. “However, in only a couple of hours, I have formed stalactites just by using paper towel and Epsom Salts.”

Emily Satcher, a seventh-grader, created an experiment that shows the effect of sunlight on molecules in the air, which creates different colors. Calling her project “Why is the Sky Blue?,” she won second place in the Physical Science category.

She found that when she shined a flashlight into a solution of milk and water, it would turn different colors depending on the angle at which she held the flashlight.

“If you put the flashlight — which represents the suns rays — at the top, representing 12 noon, it will make a white-blue color,” Satcher said. “Then as you move it, as the sun would move during the day to the west, to make it a sunset, all the molecules turn red and orange.”

I guess the kid in question can't really be blamed but the 'science' teacher who awarded him a prize for 'Creation Wins!!!' and didn't see any of the glaring flaws in it...

[Surlethe]

"Why is the Sky Blue?" seems at least clever and useful; "Creation Wins!!!" doesn't even disprove evolution if it's valid. And if it's valid, I say what I always say: if it really does what he claims it does (:roll:), there are reputable scientific journals waiting for a peer review of the kid's paper to crown him a hero among the scientific community.

[Darth Tanner]

Since when has the formation of stalagmites been a part of the theory of evolution?

[El Moose Monstero]

As someone on another forum pointed out, the irony is that this experiment was lifted right out of an online science project website. The girl who came in second was clearly more deserving as she actually had to perform a series of experiments, write down observations and make some conclusions - also supporting it with some research (googled/wikied or learnt). Given that this guy literally just set up an experiment and left it alone, I think the bias of the teacher is clear and the ability to see glaring flaws is probably irrelevant.

[Vendetta]

Pawleys Island Christian Academy.

And you all sound surprised.. The cynicism is not strong with you today.

[Cao Cao]

Since when has the formation of stalagmites been a part of the theory of evolution?

It's part of the tried and tested creationist methodology.
"I can question what scientists say about x, therefore y is wrong even though x has nothing to do with y!"

[Kristoff]

Since when a limestone caves are made of Epsom Salts?

[Redleader34]

The behavioral science sounds like a parody of what someone ould do if they ran out of time for a real project...

[wolveraptor]

Doesn't the fucking size of the stalactites have anything to do with the amount of time they've had to develop? His were no more than a few inches long, at best. Never mind the fact that real stalactites aren't made of goddamn salts.

[K. A. Pital]

That wins the day for stupidity awards.

Though I must say this isn't as funny as the infamous Flood Geology.

[Lord Zentei]

Doesn't the fucking size of the stalactites have anything to do with the amount of time they've had to develop? His were no more than a few inches long, at best. Never mind the fact that real stalactites aren't made of goddamn salts.

And the rate at which the water drips is also important.

This kid's teachers are liars and morons and should have their licenses revoked.

[Frank Hipper]

Someone care to point out what scientists are saying that it takes millions of years for stalactites to form, and how they got to be scientists being so stupid?

Under the right conditions, stalactites can form in the course of centuries, if not decades, insisde man-made stone structures.
While I'm stating the blindingly obvious, this child fails for many reasons, and his teacher should be washing dishes.

[The Spartan]

Since when has the formation of stalagmites been a part of the theory of evolution?

It's part of the tried and tested creationist methodology.
"I can question what scientists say about x, therefore y is wrong even though x has nothing to do with y!"

They may be trying to attack it by means of the age of the planet/universe. The idea possibly being that if it only takes minutes to form a stalactite then you don't need evolution over millions of years or some other such nonsense.

[wolveraptor]

As if that's the only goddamn evidence for an old Earth there is. I mean, Christ, human civilization reaches back before the Biblical beginning of the universe, if I'm not mistaken.

[CJvR]

LOL! Salt = Limestone, the other samples weren't much to celebrate either.

Salt formations grow in minutes to sizes that stone formations require centuries to match. The Salt mine outside Krakow was a most intresting place to visit.

[CmdrWilkens]

The only thing which seemed to even truly resemble a real experiment or at least a science project would be the behavioral science kid. At least there we are tlaking about, it sounds, interviewing subjects and determining response to stimuli the comparing results when gender is considered. I seriously doubt there is much control or serious number crunching invovled but from a behaviroal science standpoint it at least goes to the basics of trying to understand human interaction though again at about the level I'd expect from 6th/7th grade students in terms of complexity.

[Feil]

Middle school science projects are means by which the smart students figure out a way to have fun playing with cool stuff and get a good grade for it and the dumb students just do what they've always done and produce trash. No actual science gets done because it's much more fun to make a catapult / light shit on fire / play with animals / bake, and so on. Of course, none of the teachers know anything whatsoever about science or the scientific method, so there's no way a quality control could be established anyway.

[wilfulton]

They may be trying to attack it by means of the age of the planet/universe. The idea possibly being that if it only takes minutes to form a stalactite then you don't need evolution over millions of years or some other such nonsense.

This is it exactly. By proving that stalactites can form in five minutes under the right conditions, they disprove that they need millions of years to form, and can thus go on to explain how the universe is only 6000 years old, as it says in the bible, etc. etc.

But the one question I would like to ask a fundie, just to see them squirm, is that, okay, if the stalactites in my favorite spelunking destination can indeed form in a couple decades, then after six thousand years wouldn't the cave be plugged and impassible as a result?

Buh-loobaloobaloobaloo-duh....

*crickets chirping*

[Darth Servo]

They may be trying to attack it by means of the age of the planet/universe. The idea possibly being that if it only takes minutes to form a stalactite then you don't need evolution over millions of years or some other such nonsense.

Step 1. "Prove" one of the methods for showing the Earth is billions of years old are bogus.
Step 2. If one method is wrong, they all must be.
Step 3. Use pseudoscience to "prove" the Earth is young.
Step 4. Use said young Earth to "prove" there wasn't enough time for evolution to occur.

[Darth Servo]

Since when a limestone caves are made of Epsom Salts?

Since the volcanic ash from Mt St Hellens is the same as limestone which the creationist morons use to "prove" fossils can form in a short period of time.

Face it. Not only are creationists completely ignorant of biology but also essentially every other field of science: geology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, anything that shows their beliefs are a load of bull.

[Darth Servo]

As if that's the only goddamn evidence for an old Earth there is. I mean, Christ, human civilization reaches back before the Biblical beginning of the universe, if I'm not mistaken.

Thats all the work of Satan. Didn't you know?

[Nephtys]

...so really awful, disgusting rock candy is basically a complete refutation of the entire field of Geology.

So much for that branch of science. I think Timecube also invalidated all of Physics too, so there also goes chemistry and biology as a consequence.

Anyone up for some good ol' fashioned 'touching the Monolith between picking ticks off each other'?

[Dooey Jo]

That's hilarious! "Behold, the salt solution crystallises. Creationism FTW!!!"

I have a book with science experiments though, and one of them is exactly like that girl's project, with shining a flashlight into a water and milk mix...

[Tanasinn]

I have a hard time getting worked up about it. To me, some pants-shitting religious lunatic can feel free to scream to the world that "Creation Wins!!!!"; the world will still run on the same rules it always has, and god will be no more real than he ever has been.

Of course, when morons like this get into public office, well...

[Cykeisme]

I have a book with science experiments though, and one of them is exactly like that girl's project, with shining a flashlight into a water and milk mix...

Holy shit!