Photos this week have nothing to do with my essay - Here are a collection of doors seen in Peru...
Most Americans, when asked how they gain understanding of
the world, will tell you that they rely on “good reasoning”, “follow common
sense”, think “critically” or
“logically”.
But for some, this only goes so far… The issue between
creationists and evolutionary biologists keeps resurfacing… The Pew Research
group found that 42%
of Americans see themselves as creationists.
This creates an issue in our schools and what we teach our children.
First lets get one thing clear – Science is not about
“proving” things to be true. Science is
about seeking available information and finding the most probable solution to a
problem based on the evidence. As new knowledge becomes available, explanations
are adjusted and corrected. For
something to be a “theory” – does not make it unreliable. It simply tells that “it is the best
conclusion” to fit the known facts. No
one study or test “proves” or “disproves” something. It is abhorrent to
scientists to think of manipulating data to support a desired outcome.
The belief in creationism is a “belief”… created by people
of faith to explain the origins of the earth, and all life…passed on my
tradition over the centuries… but not based on ongoing tests or scientific
research. This interpretation is not open to question and examination.
It is not fair, and not possible to have an open debate
between the two positions. One system
disregards anything that does not support the faith position. The other is open to all new tests and
results to reach a conclusion.
Far from all Christians support the literal stories of
Genesis. Many modern day Christians see Genesis as an allegorical story – a metaphor.
These Christians see Genesis as the ancient explanation of an early people….
The story tells how these people experienced God active in their world. In the Genesis story, God says that creation
is “good”.
My goal as a science teacher is to encourage students to
investigate – to examine, to learn how to design tests, to gather new verifiable
information. People who base their position
purely on “belief” are very limited in how far they can engage in these actions.
I am concerned for young Americans who are prevented from
learning how to think critically. News
articles this week pointed out that Bob Jones University Press sells a Life
Science textbook (used by many voucher eligible schools). This book teaches students that dinosaurs and
humans lived at the same time…. And many have even lived side by side within
the past few thousand years. Great
dragon-like-beasts are mentioned in the Bible, and this is offered as
“evidence”. The books advocate that the
student must decide between belief in God and belief in evolution. This misses the point that for many
Christians today, it is enriching to combine a belief in evolution with an understanding
of a God for whom creation is ongoing.
It is recognized by biologists today that life on earth is
undergoing constant change. Evolution is
a continuous process – natural selection in allowing the most fit organisms of
all species to survive. Understanding the impact of the rapid human population
expansion, global climate change, and human impact on our planet are imperative
for our survival as a species.
I have a fear that the US is producing a population that is
not competitive with much of the rest of the world in scientific knowledge. Not only does the pursuit of deeper knowledge depend
on producing individuals training for new cutting edge research; but the
national policies, that support new programs, depends on an educated population
to encourage and support the programs.
Schools in much of the rest of the world do not face the conflict over teaching
rigorous scientific knowledge and the pursuit of scientific reasoning methods.
Someone recently told me “I’m not sure that I believe in
evolution”. This person is an example of
someone confusing their beliefs with their ability to logically assess
evidence. The evidence is there – we can
choose to ignore it but that doesn't remove the existence of the evidence.
How can people without scientific knowledge understand the
major biological issues of today? - Genetic
engineering, emergence of new microorganism by mutation, new crop development, medical
treatments, the rule of mutations and adaptation resulting from human impact. Those people that say they don't trust
scientific problem solving are going to be left behind in the competitive
global economy of the future. The question is are we training students to be
ready for the new world economy…
I am curious why many people mistrust science. For those without knowledge, they don't
understand how science works. Concepts
are growing increasingly complex - and in depth understanding requires long
study – and this is not possible in all the important topics of current
study. Also scientific knowledge is
constantly changing – so no one explanation is the final “truth”. Most of these changes are minor
‘tweaks’ – but for many we want final definite answers. At times we discover that our explanation is inadequate and then it is necessary to return to basic questions and
seek more complete answers. But this is how science works – new questions –
demand new research – and better more inclusive interpretations.
Perhaps it is the loss of certainty that leads many to feel
uncomfortable with the scientific process, and sends people back into reliance
on a comfortable set-in-stone belief system.
But just because such beliefs are more comfortable doesn't make those approaches more honest or effective.
Two recommended articles on the topic
