The Creation of the Solar System

Check out the video on Jupiter in the preview. This is breathtakingly, incredibly wrong and absent of any merit.  The insane conjectures in this video series are too many to mention in detail. But here is an example: lack of craters do not suggest a planet or moon is 'young' but rather that there is a mechanism to resurface the world. Their conclusion is that a lack of craters implies young planet. The concept of tidal stress to heat up a core is intentionally discarded. Another fun item was the spin rate of Jupiter and conclusions drawn on the energy required to spin it so fast.

Their use of the word evolution illustrates their misunderstanding of the most basic science. It is almost intended as dirty word.  We make predictions and refine theory based on found evidence. That is great thing about science.

As you see the video, you hear the bible had been rejected. This is in fact is even misleading. Science, no matter what field, does not consult the bible to either support or reject theory. Of course there are unknowns. It does not weigh in on the matter of religion. This is why we discover evidence and support theories or reject them, and allowing theories evolve.  However, the creationists here are abandoning well understood science to deliberately mislead others and to support their conclusions required in biblical faith.

Texas BoE Vote Update- Or Hijackers of the GoP Update

Apparently Dallas, Texas - what one would expect to be the den of the conservative block of Texas - is not so narrow minded after all. Consider the Board of Education vote according to the Dallas Morning News: All three Dallas-area board members – Republicans Geraldine Miller of Dallas and Pat Hardy of Weatherford, and Democrat Mavis Knight of Dallas – opposed the rule that would allow the curriculum a creationism foothold by purporting flaws in evolutionary theory. They cited the recommendations of a science review committee of teachers and academics, who contended that talking about "weaknesses" would undermine the proper teaching of Charles Darwin’s theory of how humans evolved from lower life forms. On the other hand, the central area (Lampasas to Ft Worth area) Texas Board of Education members and The Woodlands (Houston) area, which one would naturally expect to be more, let us say enlightened, seemed to have difficulty distinguishing fact from fantasy. It highly probably these people do not have a grasp of the issues. Perhaps they lack even a basic high school level education level biology accreditation, nor could give you a definition of simple terms like theory, hypothesis, observation, validation, corroboration, geology, or evidence. At least for now – enough outraged people called and said enough is enough. The vote was narrow.

The final vote is in MARCH!!! SO DO NOT GIVE UP!

Do we need to reinforce that our expectation for all subjects be relevant?

1) Math? We teach math? Not 2+2=5? What if there is a miracle? You aint got no time machine to prove otherwise? Maybe 6000 years ago when the Earth was made, the 2+2 did make 5?
2) English? What if my bible says I decide I do not prononce nor spel the sam az yu.
3) Home Schoolin? My youngins got their learnins from their bible. It all good and they aint need no social skills as they get thit from church. I dont want them confused with devil words and trickery.
4) Chemistry? Why not Alchemy? Lead into Gold? It is great in a recession!
5) All theories are incomplete!!! Therefore, all are worthless! Therefore, no Gravity!
6) What is the point of having a standard, a discipline, if it actually means - nothing? It is no longer a science at that point. It is would be like confusing Astrology with Astronomy. Which probably is actually a tad confusing to certain BoE seat warmers!

Maybe we need a new board? At least, we need to thank the ones in Dallas who cared enough to consider the definition of 'science'! For the others? Consider there are places in the world where your 'ah' perspective would be 'tolerated'. Of course, you will be living in the 5th century - but that is what you are after - right? Just do not make me do it. If you want that for your children, send them such a place and pay for it yourself. Let them reap the consequences of non reality.

The Theory of Stupid

From a comment in the Dallas Morning News.

FadingLullaby: It is called the Theory of Evolution for a reason (It is not proven nor could it ever really be proven unless someone happens to be millions of years old). If we are going to explain to students one theory should we not explain all major theories and then let the students decide for themselves? Darwinism is just as much a religion as Creationism is. Neither can be proven, both have flaws, and both are theories.

This person votes. This person drives.

Scary.

Teach Them Science!

I just spoke with my Board of Education representative Gail Lowe and had to explain to her what a theory is. These people are responsible for the E in BoE in Texas. When we spoke and I expressed my opinion that I desired to keep science in the classroom, she took the approach that I am in the camp that evolution should be taught in schools.

Who made camps exactly? The Scopes Trials were quite a while ago. Inherit the Wind, was a great book and a decent movie. But that is history! Why are we re-visiting this topic today? I am not convinced the people responsible for the selection of our text books have an adequate understanding of the basic principal of science. Religion is not science. Considering, science requires a theory to be supported by evidence and this theory can be only be supported with evidence. This process is repeatable through experimentation by others, with supporting theories which do not stand by themselves. A theory is not monolithic entity. It is a framework, a continuum, and it is self correcting. Religion is faith. It is personal. One does not ask another person to validate another person’s faith. At least they should not. I had to make this point this point very clear.

Fact: There is not room for both in a science classroom. One is theory based. One is not. This is not opinion. You cannot test, measure, and replicate tests of others faith based observations.

Fact: Just because a given ‘theory’ is not ‘whole’ does not mean that the parts which are understood are in any way invalidated by the supportive arguments.

Fact: Science deals with what it can observe either directly or indirectly. No magical thinking is allowed.

I left the conversation with the idea that what we know today changes from what we will know tomorrow. We learn. We adapt. Science is humbling. I suggested if want to have religion in our schools, we should have religious electives. Dogma, on the other hand is stagnant. Did not we just get recently get around to apologizing to Galileo for his blasphemy about Jupiter? If you want to see how the GOP has been hijacked by the Christian right, visit the Discovery Institute. So much for limited government.

Yes – it has come to this. We are worse than Kansas, we are even worse than Louisiana. However, unlike these states, we set the example.

Visit the site: http://www.teachthemscience.org/