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Re: [Phys-L] Sun going around the Earth?

The problems is not the scientific process. Students learn things as facts,
but then they don't believe many of the facts. They need to learn that the
scientific method builds up the scientific results from a variety of
evidence. So the Earth's rotation is shown by the pendulum and the
circulation of winds. The parallax allows you to determine the distance to
the nearby stars and confirms the model that the Earth goes around the
sun... They need to begin to see how the concepts have been formed. If
they are just told them, it is easy for the students to say that is just
your opinion. So you have an MDs in Congress who says "All that stuff I was
taught about evolution and embryology and the big bang theory, all that is
lies straight from the pit of Hell". Such people really did not learn these
concepts, but were just noodled with them.

The fact based method of teaching also makes denying easier. Science
becomes just another belief system rather than a logically built up system.
They simply choose which set of facts they believe without actually
considering real evidence. They are absolutists because they believe in
absolute truth, and they insist that an alternate idea is absolutely wrong.
They have to be exposed to the inherent uncertainty in science, and in
everyday affairs. Within this uncertainty we do judge that certain things
are firmly established, but we do it because of evidence. People already
have seen instances where the scientific model has changed, so they then go
back and start to doubt the basic models which they were given as fact. So
we need to acknowledge right from the start that our models for the world
are subject to change, but in light of firmly established facts. Let the
students know that some models are very firmly established while others are
more in flux.

Also the concept that just observing the motion does not establish a
preferred frame is very valuable in physics. Most students just appeal to
the observed motion to prove the motion is consistent with what they have
been told, without considering that the motion of the Sun is explainable
either by the Earth's rotation or by having a Sun that moves.

PS: Noodling is what you do to geese to create pate de fois gras.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


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
not come up with any good evidence for why we insist that the Earth
goes around the Sun. They have been told it so much that
they parrot
it back without 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 author convinces most students during a summer
institute that they
have no evidence for which is true. He gets them to understand the
difference between evidence and just accepting what they have been
told. When he asks them at 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."

The observations of the other planets can be explained in an Earth
centered system as long as you do not try to figure the
mechanism behind the orbits.
An important piece in the puzzle is the Foucault pendulum
which shows
that the Earth is rotating. Then of course there are things like
large whirlpools and weather patterns. MS and HS students do not
generally understand this. Actually I bet most college students do
not know about it either, even in science classes. Can the
pendulum
be explained along with an Earth centered system?

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

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_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@www.phys-l.org
http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l