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Re: [Phys-l] Is evolution something to believe in?





I "believe" that his is one of the more important threads that has been developed on this list. It seems to me that most science in schools and colleges is taught much like a belief system is taught: here is a bunch of stuff handed down from some authority, learn it. In the case of religion, the authority is god; in the case of science the authority is some great mind. The public comes to thinks it is only a matter of choice as to which of the two to believe in, that the one has the same validity as the other. I think it is our job and our responsibility to make sure that that thinking does not happen. We should at least show the enormous distinction between the two processes and on what they are based. The difference, after all, is the difference between the rational and the non-rational world.

Fred Bucheit

Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 06:10:42 -0700> From: cparker@charter.net> To: phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu> Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Is evolution something to believe in?> > For nearly all non scientists and I would suggest very many k - 12 teachers who support the idea of evolution most certainly do "believe in evolution". They simply do not know enough to do otherwise. Maybe as I think about it now what they really do is believe in scientists. What we tell them must be true, after all we are scientists. We do little in school or otherwise to encourage the masses to beleive based on evidence we simply ask them to beleive in science. How do we fix this problem?> > Cliff Parker> > > ---- Hugh Haskell <hhaskell@mindspring.com> wrote: > > It's not the word "believe" by itself, but the phrase "believe in" > > that carries the baggage. I can "believe" something, based on the > > evidence, and subject to change when new evidence comes in, but if I > > "believe in" something, there seems to be an implication of an > > attachment to the idea that is more than just evidence-based.> > > > Hugh> > -- > > > > ************************************************************> > Hugh Haskell> > <mailto:haskell@ncssm.edu>> > <mailto:hhaskell@mindspring.com>> > > > (919) 467-7610> > > > Hard work often pays off after time. But Laziness always pays off now.> > > > February tagline on 2007 Demotivator's Calendar> > _______________________________________________> > Forum for Physics Educators> > Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu> > https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l> _______________________________________________> Forum for Physics Educators> Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu> https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
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