Saying students are getting only one side of the debate, a state senators wants to free teachers to tell students why they believe there is no such thing human-caused “global warming.”
Saying students are getting only one side of the debate, a state senators wants to free teachers to tell students why they believe there is no such thing human-caused “global warming.”
I think “record” is too big a word when used in the fossil record context. Given that it is near impossible for any living thing to become a fossil (unless you’re already fossil-like during your lifetime and are so abundant that your abundance adequately compensates the poor chances of fossilisation), a better metaphor for the quality of evidence that we possess would be a paper record that was passed through a shredder, then burnt and dispersed by the winds, with only a few tiny fragments spared from destruction.
So the fossil record, to use the term cautiously, is one large but slightly imperfect gap. It is rather surprising how much can still be gleaned from these imperfectly eliminated traces of life.
Once you’ve properly imagined what it takes to become a fossil, one thing becomes perfectly clear: no negative assertion can be made based on our knowledge of fossils.
It does seem a bizarre concept. I’ve never had kids in Arizona schools and their teachers in K-12 in Billings seemed to be light on politics. We chatted about concepts like Intelligent Design at home. Spiritually, I believe “…in God, the Father Almighty, who created heaven and earth…” but I acknowledge there’s no science to prove ID, despite the gaps in evolution. So we have talked about ID as a concept but not as science.
Unless theres an Arizona law, this could be a back-door approach to ID or creationism. It’s true that a valid scientific discussion would include the areas that are still mysteries to us, like what set off the Big Bang or how fossil records support evolution theory while leaving gaps. Perhpas the issue is that various teacher organizations are pressing their dragooned union members into compliance with liberal agendas.
Good point. Unless we end up in a court battle like evolution did. Then probably they will not be allowed to teach opposing ideas.
If part of the official curriculum, why not REQUIRE them to teach the ENTIRE story (“both” sides, to an equal degree)? Just allowing them lets them off the hook, freeing them to push the lefty agenda (and leaves the students brainwashed/ignorant).
Gene: That was my thought, too.
Free teachers to tell students? Such freedom needs to be legislated?