I assume the solution to this problem will be to create more evangelical colleges like Liberty University, where students can concentrate on the really important things, like skirt lengths, hair styles, prayer life, preventing kissing and dancing, random drug tests, avoiding witchcraft, or R-rated movies:
Kentucky Republicans passed education legislation in 2009 that made it easier to compare the state’s students to other states. Now they’re very upset that the results came back Stupid.
ACT, the state’s testing company, interviews professors to figure out the things most important to student readiness for college, which sounds like a smart thing to do. Unfortunately, those professors have bad news: If you want students to do well in biology classes, they have to know about evolution.
Rather predictably, the Kentucky GOP is madder than a plumber in a Chipotle.“I think we are very committed to being able to take Kentucky students and put them on a report card beside students across the nation,” said Republican Sen. David Givens. “We’re simply saying to the ACT people we don’t want what is a theory to be taught as a fact in such a way it may damage students’ ability to do critical thinking.”
Yes! Let’s teach students about how Chuck E. Cheese made the Earth out of popsicle sticks three years ago. We don’t want to damage them.
It gets even better. From the Lexington Herald-Leader:
Givens said he asked the ACT representatives about possibly returning to a test personalized for Kentucky, but he was told that option was very expensive and time-consuming.
Aw, come on, Smart People. Is that so unreasonable? All Kentucky wants is national guidelines that exempt the state from knowing science, because the best way to prepare students for college classes is obviously to ignore the advice of the people teaching them. Don’t worry, they have a totally real and responsible argument:
“The theory of evolution is a theory, and essentially the theory of evolution is not science — Darwin made it up,” [Rep. Ben] Waide said. “My objection is they should ensure whatever scientific material is being put forth as a standard should at least stand up to scientific method. Under the most rudimentary, basic scientific examination, the theory of evolution has never stood up to scientific scrutiny.”
Let’s rank the most stupid legislative bodies by state. Would Alabama be #1? Kentucky #2? In which states do you think the most stupid legislative bodies resides?
Perhaps the legislators whom Kentuckians choose to represent them will also take the same approach to the germ “theory” of disease and act accordingly. Since it is only a “theory,” they should have no problems with legislation outlawing soap and the sterilization of surgical equipment.
Evolution is a verifiable fact. It is the mechanism through which it occurs — natural selection — that comprises the theory.
People who do not understand how science works seem to think that a “theory” is somehow lacking in power and validity. Scientific theories are our best explanation for an event or phenomenon based on the available evidence, i.e., a theory tells us HOW it happens. Theories have generally been subjected to rigorous empirical and/or mathematical testing and represent the consensus of the scientific community, whereas a hypothesis is a possible explanation for a specific observation and has not necessarily been tested yet.
Calling something a theory does not cheapen or weaken it. On the contrary, the term “theory” gives it legitimacy as something that is scientifically testable and that has been rigorously examined either mathematically or empirically to the point that the available evidence overwhelming supports it.
Quantum mechanics, special and general relativity, molecular kinetics — all THEORIES!
Theories are based on the best empirical EVIDENCE available, not PROOF. There is an incredible wealth of evidence — both geological and biochemical — to support evolution by natural selection.
Creationism and ID are faith-based concepts. Their “evidence” consists of the allegories provided in the Bible, nothing more.
Socially-regressive conservative politicians are on a quest to send public K-12 curriculum back 100 years with legislation designed to propagate right wing revisionist history in social studies classes, and proselytize religious ideology and promote corporate-funded anti-environmental propaganda in the science classroom.
Alas, the rest of the nation did not get the memo.
Sorry Labman, but to make any progress with the target audience you are going to have to render that analysis in “tongues.”