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Teaching Science (Another Derbyshire Classic!)
National Review Online ^ | August 30 2005 | John Derbyshire

Posted on 08/30/2005 9:31:31 AM PDT by RightWingAtheist

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To: skeptoid

It is? Even though it has been proven both in the lab and in the field? Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it is not real.


61 posted on 08/30/2005 11:25:18 AM PDT by doc30 (Democrats are to morals what and Etch-A-Sketch is to Art.)
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To: jimmyray

Incidentally, If scientists, who thought dogs were extinct for millions of years, were to find a variety of dog fossils, including a miniature Poodle,German Shepherd, and a Great Dane, they would arrange them in order from smallest to largest. This would then be used as evidence how dogs gradually evolved from smaller to larger, (or the reverse, depending on their "beliefs") and state the dogs could not have existed side-by-side. Of course we know better. But could not the "horse series" be an example of the same. Oh, I know, radio-carbon dating, etc. proves their age. What are the assumptions of radio carbon dating, anyway?


62 posted on 08/30/2005 11:27:29 AM PDT by jimmyray
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To: jimmyray

Macro-evolution is testable.

Nothing in science is a settled fact.

Some people refute the germ theory of disease.


63 posted on 08/30/2005 11:28:24 AM PDT by bobdsmith
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To: jimmyray
Incidentally, If scientists, who thought dogs were extinct for millions of years, were to find a variety of dog fossils, including a miniature Poodle,German Shepherd, and a Great Dane, they would arrange them in order from smallest to largest.

No they wouldn't, because if they all date from the same time period they cannot be on the same evolutionary branch. And scientists would not assume a change from smaller to larger anyway - why not larger to smaller?

Oh, I know, radio-carbon dating, etc. proves their age

Learn about what you are talking about first. Carbon dating is only used to date objects less than 50,000 years old.

64 posted on 08/30/2005 11:30:34 AM PDT by bobdsmith
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To: Ol' Sparky
The sun is 400 times bigger than the moon, yet the exact distance from the moon to form a perfect eclipse. If you think that happened by accidernt, you and the author of this tripe are morons.

It has happened by accident and eclipses aren't 'perfect.' In the past, the moon was closer to the Earth and it looked bigger than it is now. Moreover, the moon is not always the same distance from the Earth when the there is a solar eclipse. Sometimes it's closer and the sun is completely obscured. Other times, it is farther away and you have a ring of sunlight around the moon. Also, depending on where you are standing, you see either a total ot partial eclipse, or no eclipse at all.

If the system were designed that way, then why these flaws? It's like the geocentric view when epicycles needed to be invented to account for retrograde planetary motion, but a heliocentric model fitted the planetary positions very well.

65 posted on 08/30/2005 11:32:45 AM PDT by doc30 (Democrats are to morals what and Etch-A-Sketch is to Art.)
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To: doc30
But didn't you know that coincidence is evidence of a Divine plan for the universe?
66 posted on 08/30/2005 11:36:03 AM PDT by Mylo ( scientific discovery is also an occasion of worship.)
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To: Mylo
But didn't you know that coincidence is evidence of a Divine plan for the universe?

Actually I thought it was from the face of Jesus appearing on a grilled cheese sandwich. That can't be a random event.

67 posted on 08/30/2005 11:39:15 AM PDT by doc30 (Democrats are to morals what and Etch-A-Sketch is to Art.)
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To: doc30
In other words, take the understanding out of biology as well as the unifying theory so the kids will have no idea of what connects all these things. Evolution is the foundation of all these things in one way or another.

You ere, for you know not the facts.

Taxonomy, as first put forth by Carolus Linnaeus, was done so that we may understand God's wisdom by studying His creation. As written in the preface to a late edition of Systema Naturae:

The Earth's creation is the glory of God, as seen from the works of Nature by Man alone. The study of nature would reveal the Divine Order of God's creation, and it was the naturalist's task to construct a "natural classification" that would reveal this Order in the universe.

68 posted on 08/30/2005 11:40:47 AM PDT by jimmyray
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To: doc30
In other words, take the understanding out of biology as well as the unifying theory so the kids will have no idea of what connects all these things.

Not at all. If you think this you don't undrstand biology or evolutionary theory.

69 posted on 08/30/2005 11:41:13 AM PDT by tallhappy (Juntos Podemos!)
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To: Ol' Sparky
Limbaugh would tear him to shreds.

Limbaugh is a scientist?!?

the equivalent of believing a tornado could sweep across a junkyard an assemble a 747

Neither a tornado nor a 747 biologically replicate so your analogy makes you appear very simpleminded.

to reject intelligent design one must believe a bacterial flagellum

No. One must merely have a rational brain.

Dr. Michael Behe, who could outdebate you or this clown with 99% of his brain tied behind his back

Read the article. Fools who follow pseudo science charlatans have no credibility.

70 posted on 08/30/2005 11:41:24 AM PDT by shuckmaster
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To: Ol' Sparky
If this is one of his "classics," then this guy is first-class moron

Tell us, what has Derbyshire said that is wrong?

71 posted on 08/30/2005 11:41:28 AM PDT by Modernman ("A conservative government is an organized hypocrisy." -Disraeli)
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To: jimmyray
Just because the majority of people believe it, does not make it true.

Other than teaching the consensus view of scientists, how would you propose teaching science?

72 posted on 08/30/2005 11:43:16 AM PDT by Modernman ("A conservative government is an organized hypocrisy." -Disraeli)
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To: jimmyray
Forget how to do a link. Neat, nuetral article on the "Peppered Moth" evidence.

You can't remember how to do a link but you want us to trust your judgment on the biology of peppered moths?

73 posted on 08/30/2005 11:46:20 AM PDT by shuckmaster
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To: jimmyray
Incidentally, If scientists, who thought dogs were exinct for millions of years, were to find a variety of dog fossils, including a miniature Poodle,German Shepherd, and a Great Dane, they would arrange them in order from smallest to largest.

No, they wouldn't.

But could not the "horse series" be an example of the same.

No.

74 posted on 08/30/2005 11:46:28 AM PDT by Modernman ("A conservative government is an organized hypocrisy." -Disraeli)
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To: Junior

Exactly my point. What one chooses to believe does not make it true or false.


75 posted on 08/30/2005 11:47:04 AM PDT by mlc9852
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To: Modernman

I think most of these yahoo's would teach a Science class thusly....."Class open your Bible to Genesis chapter one".

With instructions to ignore Geology, Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry and Biology whenever the evidence indicates that the earth is LOTS older than 20,000 years.


76 posted on 08/30/2005 11:47:30 AM PDT by Mylo ( scientific discovery is also an occasion of worship.)
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To: doc30

Consider the DVD http://www.privilegedplanet.com/ . It provides an interesting challenge as to the special place of the earth in the universe, and it's coincidental ability to support bioth life and (true) scientific inquiry.


77 posted on 08/30/2005 11:47:48 AM PDT by jimmyray
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To: jimmyray

You obviously aren't following the discussion. The ID advocates pushing the school boards for inclusion of ID are not disagreeing with the fact of evolution or common descent.

Behe, Dembski and Denton all agree that evolution is a fact. They are disagreeing about the mechanism. Even in their scheme, natural selection is a major and undeniable component. There really aren't any well known scientists who doubt common descent.


78 posted on 08/30/2005 11:49:15 AM PDT by js1138 (Great is the power of steady misrepresentation.)
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To: Modernman
Incidentally, If scientists, who thought dogs were exinct for millions of years, were to find a variety of dog fossils, including a miniature Poodle,German Shepherd, and a Great Dane, they would arrange them in order from smallest to largest.

No, they wouldn't.

But could not the "horse series" be an example of the same.

No.

Excellent! Of course, and argument consists of "a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition, not just the automatic gainsaying of what the other person says"

79 posted on 08/30/2005 11:50:39 AM PDT by jimmyray
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To: mlc9852

Then we go with what has the most evidence for it.


80 posted on 08/30/2005 11:52:27 AM PDT by Junior (Just because the voices in your head tell you to do things doesn't mean you have to listen to them)
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