Interesting Facebook post re: science in public schools

[_Maksutov]

A comment posted in response to this story: http://deadstate.org/neil-degrasse-tyso ... classroom/
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As a NASA/JPL Solar System ambassador, I visit a lot of elementary school classrooms to talk about science. One teacher asked me to "talk about anything except evolution, plate tectonics, or dinosaurs - because some of the parents were young earth creationists. Another teacher asked me to talk about "adaptation" in biology to her 3rd grade class, so I sent her a link to a PBS Nova clip on whale and shark evolution. She asked me not to talk about evolution, because it was "touchy." I asked if I could talk about the beak of the finch and the Galapagos, and she said that was fine.... And these were California Public Schools.

[_sock puppet]

Political correctness is causing the dumbing down of what is taught to children in America.

Playing to the lowest common denominators is certainly antithetical to advancement.

[_honorentheos]

Thanks for sharing this, Maksutov. This, on top of all the other challenges teachers face in the public school system, makes it almost miraculous we manage to be mediocre rather than abysmal failures in education compared to other nations.

Last week I was listening to a report about the drought conditions in California and the concern about water rationing and potentially unprecedented measures being required by the end of the year if it doesn't rain. One of the commentators in the report, I believe a member of the state legislature, commented that no one seemed interested in putting the necessary but unpopular water restrictions in place at the water district level before conditions get dramatically worse. Instead, he said, it seems the role of leadership so far has been to hope for rain.

In some ways, I think both the magic thinking involved in creationism's/religion's aversion to scientific explanations for how things work and the preference to hope things will work out for the best rather than take uncomfortable action are symptoms of a deeper problem we face culturally that isn't isolated to religion. At least, religion as we commonly think of it.

[Guest]

Thanks for sharing this, Maksutov. This, on top of all the other challenges teachers face in the public school system, makes it almost miraculous we manage to be mediocre rather than abysmal failures in education compared to other nations.

Last week I was listening to a report about the drought conditions in California and the concern about water rationing and potentially unprecedented measures being required by the end of the year if it doesn't rain. One of the commentators in the report, I believe a member of the state legislature, commented that no one seemed interested in putting the necessary but unpopular water restrictions in place at the water district level before conditions get dramatically worse. Instead, he said, it seems the role of leadership so far has been to hope for rain.

In some ways, I think both the magic thinking involved in creationism's/religion's aversion to scientific explanations for how things work and the preference to hope things will work out for the best rather than take uncomfortable action are symptoms of a deeper problem we face culturally that isn't isolated to religion. At least, religion as we commonly think of it.

Yep. I about LMAO when I heard a local TV reporter, in all seriousness, state that Catholic Church leaders in California had made an urgent request to all citizens to join them in their major initiative to bring rain, which of course, was to pray.

Sad thing is, rain will eventually come, even if it is too late to save the State from many hundreds of millions in fire related costs. But you can bet that, when it does, most of those who prayed will feel as if they were somehow directly responsible.

[_krose]

The intimidation felt by teachers, along with an understandable desire to avoid confrontation and controversy, is the way the fundies have effectively stopped the teaching of evolution in most of the USA.

It's sad, a real shame for science literacy in this country.

[_Uncle Ed]

"I find your lack of faith, disturbing."

I've read plenty of skeptical treatments on so-called prayer experiments, even to the point of asserting that prayers for those in hospitals actually work out worse statistically vis-a-vis recovery.

But there is the real deal and there are skeptic-driven "studies". The real deal doesn't do studies because unbelief is antithetical to prayer. This just underscores the chasm between metaphysical belief and results, and empirical science which cannot even admit the metaphysical for study. Just as soon as the "scientific method" is applied to prayer it is just as likely to "stop working". Faith in the metaphysical is maddening to skeptics that way....

[_ludwigm]

And those people of United States of America, living in the home of unlimited opportunities, in the home of democracy (sorry for the string "democra" ...), winners of wars against Japan (Hirosh-- Naga--), against Korea, against Vietnam, against Iraq, (list all) . . .

Well. That people reached the moon. A lesser light to rule the night, you know. NOT an astronomical (celestial... damn) object. A LESSER light.

Please, don't try to reach the stars! They are only "also".
Gen 1:16. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

Also...

[_Kittens_and_Jesus]

Nevermind.

[_ludwigm]

Nevermind.

Anyway, it is a tendency I observe here, in HU.

People go mad.

[_Always Changing]

The intimidation felt by teachers, along with an understandable desire to avoid confrontation and controversy, is the way the fundies have effectively stopped the teaching of evolution in most of the USA.

It's sad, a real shame for science literacy in this country.

I think this is the key. Many people who get into education tend to have such a desire, and it is often the way to survive in that culture. Although i consider myself moderately liberal, I think that tuition vouchers are the way to go. It is a matter of survival of the fittest, and matching parents to teachers. Consistent environments are better for kids, anyway.