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One major problem with teaching it this way is that (many? most?) people
are either anti-science or science illiterate, so when we show the
scientific process they say, "See, you scientists can't agree on anything
so why should we believe anything you say about (evolution... climate
change... heliocentric theory... quantum theory... fill in the blanks)."
Certain politicians are stridently adamant with their beliefs even though
they know nothing, and being a politician they are persuasive to the point
of brainwashing the populace into parroting anti-science beliefs.
Therefore, I say, why not simply take the cue from them and say what is
true with certainty. No more of the "real scientific process" of doubt and
falsify-ability. Let's just communicate better. Climate change is real and
is mostly caused by human activities. Evolution is absolutely real. The
earth goes around the sun. I am scientist and I know for sure what is true
and what these politiciana say is crap.
Period.
end of discussion.
On Mar 25, 2015, at 1:32 PM, John Clement wrote:
Of course from the point of view of students in HS they generally can notaround
come up with any good evidence for why we insist that the Earth goes
the Sun. They have been told it so much that they parrot it back withoutauthor
any evidence to back it up. Every observation they cite can be explained
either way.
"An Inquiry into Science Education, Where the Rubber Meets the Road" is a
little book which should be read by all science educators. In it the
convinces most students during a summer institute that they have noevidence
for which is true. He gets them to understand the difference betweenat
evidence and just accepting what they have been told. When he asks them
the end to write out how they they know the Sun goes around the Earth,they
now tend to say "It could be either according to what I know."centered
The observations of the other planets can be explained in an Earth
system as long as you do not try to figure the mechanism behind theorbits.
An important piece in the puzzle is the Foucault pendulum which showsthat
the Earth is rotating. Then of course there are things like largeit
whirlpools and weather patterns. MS and HS students do not generally
understand this. Actually I bet most college students do not know about
either, even in science classes. Can the pendulum be explained alongwith
an Earth centered system?
John M. Clement
Houston, TX
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@www.phys-l.org
http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@www.phys-l.org
http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l