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New Scientist - Texas vote leaves loopholes for teaching creationism
Texas Officially Makes The Universe Ageless
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Texas Officially Makes The Universe Ageless
How old is the universe? Scientists agree that the answer is somewhere around 14 billion years (give or take a few million)... unless you happen to be a student in the state of Texas.
The Texas Board of Education voted on Friday to remove the universe's age from the state's educational standards, used as source material for the state's school textbooks. According to Dan Quinn of the Texas Freedom Network, this decision is a backdoor entrance for creationists and fans of intelligent design:
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The goal here was to make science more tentative and vague so that teachers have room to tell students, 'This is only one explanation and the scientists are not even sure about it themselves' – which is, of course, utter nonsense.
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The decision was only one of many made on Friday, and sadly, only one of many that suggested an anti-science agenda (Other decisions included specific language requiring scientific explanations on evolution to be "evaluated" by students and teachers, ominously enough). Chair of the Board Don McLeroy testified to the reason why that may be the case at the meeting:
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I disagree with these experts. Someone has got to stand up to experts.
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That's right! Standing up to experts and facts is exactly what the chair of an educational board's job is supposed to be! Well, at least there's always the internet to fill in gaps in these kids' education...
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After the
narrow victory (if it can even be called that) over evolution skeptics, it's hardly surprising that the school board is finding other ways to dismantle science in the Texas classroom. The statement from Don McLeroy is the most surreal part of this: "someone has got to stand up to experts." Are you kidding me? The person in charge of the board of education in one of the largest states is talking about standing up to experts? I wonder if he's consistent about that, or if he only stands up to experts who challenge his worldview. Perhaps when someone he cares about is in need of surgery, he'll stand up to experts and perform it himself. Astrophysicists don't tell this guy how to pull teeth (he's a dentist), and he should not be telling them what they are and are not correct about. Unless maybe he'd like to take over operations at Johnson Space Center in Houston...I'm sure that would go over real well.
Anyway, I know that we do have a few differing views here, so I'd like to hear your thoughts. Is there a way to please both sides on this issue and others like it? Maybe you don't think it's such a travesty for children not to learn the age of the universe. Personally, I think it makes a difference in terms of one's perspective and how one thinks about the very nature of existence, but maybe you disagree. Let's hear what you think.