Comments on: BBC: Scientist/priest says teachers are scared to teach evolution http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/ Not praying for (or on) you Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:43:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Tom Donald http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/comment-page-1/#comment-2882 Tom Donald Fri, 12 Oct 2007 05:42:48 +0000 http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/#comment-2882 On the morning that this story was considered "news", BBC radio 4 covered it on it's hourly bulletins. At 6AM and 7AM the newsreader read "creationists believe the world is between six and ten thousand years old, the majority of scientists believe it is four and a half million years old." I emailed them at ten past seven to point out that should be "billion" years old. No one in the Today programme had noticed this error, because scientific knowledge is in very short supply in the BBC news department. I regard this as VERY ALARMING... (they emailed back to confirm that the mistake was to be corrected for the eight o'clock news) Cheers! Tom On the morning that this story was considered “news”, BBC radio 4 covered it on it’s hourly bulletins. At 6AM and 7AM the newsreader read “creationists believe the world is between six and ten thousand years old, the majority of scientists believe it is four and a half million years old.” I emailed them at ten past seven to point out that should be “billion” years old.
No one in the Today programme had noticed this error, because scientific knowledge is in very short supply in the BBC news department. I regard this as VERY ALARMING… (they emailed back to confirm that the mistake was to be corrected for the eight o’clock news)
Cheers!
Tom

]]> By: Joel Sax http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/comment-page-1/#comment-2837 Joel Sax Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:03:08 +0000 http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/#comment-2837 Because more people take creationism seriously than take the stork seriously. Because more people take creationism seriously than take the stork seriously.

]]> By: nullifidian http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/comment-page-1/#comment-2829 nullifidian Wed, 10 Oct 2007 07:10:12 +0000 http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/#comment-2829 @Joel: I have no idea if Reiss is catholic or not; to me it's irrelevant, although I think I read him the same way; perhaps you misread me? My point is, why include creationism in biology, but not storkism in human biology or pirateism in world geography? @Joel: I have no idea if Reiss is catholic or not; to me it’s irrelevant, although I think I read him the same way; perhaps you misread me? My point is, why include creationism in biology, but not storkism in human biology or pirateism in world geography?

]]> By: Joel Sax http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/comment-page-1/#comment-2828 Joel Sax Wed, 10 Oct 2007 06:34:09 +0000 http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/#comment-2828 I think you're being unfair to Reiss (though you may still choose to disagree with his tactic). Catholicism has accepted the theory of evolution ever since Vatican II and shows no signs of changing its point of view on the subject. Reiss seems to want to include creationism not as the equivalent of the theory of evolution but as an example of a story about our origins which is not, by comparison precise or accurate. Where the creation story is a myth, evolution is demonstrated by scientific observation. One could find plenty of examples of this. It would make the creationist student upset, but would, in the long run, work to the betterment of scientific education. Or so I read him. I think you’re being unfair to Reiss (though you may still choose to disagree with his tactic). Catholicism has accepted the theory of evolution ever since Vatican II and shows no signs of changing its point of view on the subject. Reiss seems to want to include creationism not as the equivalent of the theory of evolution but as an example of a story about our origins which is not, by comparison precise or accurate. Where the creation story is a myth, evolution is demonstrated by scientific observation. One could find plenty of examples of this. It would make the creationist student upset, but would, in the long run, work to the betterment of scientific education. Or so I read him.

]]> By: The Exterminator http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/comment-page-1/#comment-2704 The Exterminator Sat, 06 Oct 2007 21:52:29 +0000 http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/#comment-2704 Here's what someone should ask Reiss: If everything is open for debate, under the vague rubric of "educational value," why have teachers and schools at all? Why not just let kids roam the streets and pick up whatever ridiculous opinions they can? Then they could join whatever "debate" they chose without citizens incurring any public expense for education. Here’s what someone should ask Reiss:
If everything is open for debate, under the vague rubric of “educational value,” why have teachers and schools at all? Why not just let kids roam the streets and pick up whatever ridiculous opinions they can? Then they could join whatever “debate” they chose without citizens incurring any public expense for education.

]]> By: TW http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/comment-page-1/#comment-2660 TW Fri, 05 Oct 2007 19:49:07 +0000 http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/#comment-2660 Bah, I should have known you would pick up on this as well. I did a similar post to yours :-) (Self publicising time: http://www.whydontyou.org.uk/blog/2007/10/05/the-rise-of-creationism/ ) One of the things which I found odd about Reiss' comments were the implications that Islamic families were to blame for the rise in creationist school kids. I cant for the life of me see how he works this out... Also, one of the things which ticked me off about this is the idea that teachers are scared of debating with school kids. Is our education system really that bad now? Bah, I should have known you would pick up on this as well. I did a similar post to yours :-) (Self publicising time: http://www.whydontyou.org.uk/blog/2007/10/05/the-rise-of-creationism/ )

One of the things which I found odd about Reiss’ comments were the implications that Islamic families were to blame for the rise in creationist school kids. I cant for the life of me see how he works this out…

Also, one of the things which ticked me off about this is the idea that teachers are scared of debating with school kids. Is our education system really that bad now?

]]> By: nullifidian http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/comment-page-1/#comment-2641 nullifidian Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:01:32 +0000 http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/#comment-2641 Heretic! Everybody knows (even if they say they don't) that everything is pushed onto the earth's surface by the great breath of the omnipresent silver space turtle. Heretic! Everybody knows (even if they say they don’t) that everything is pushed onto the earth’s surface by the great breath of the omnipresent silver space turtle.

]]> By: XanderG http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/comment-page-1/#comment-2639 XanderG Fri, 05 Oct 2007 08:26:43 +0000 http://www.nullifidian.net/2007/10/05/teachers-scared-to-teach-evolution/#comment-2639 Intelligent falling? Ack, don't be insane. It's blatantly obvious only Sticky Ground theory can explain all the complexites of gravity. Intelligent falling? Ack, don’t be insane. It’s blatantly obvious only Sticky Ground theory can explain all the complexites of gravity.

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