Obama on Teaching Evolution
I believe in evolution, and I support the strong consensus
of the scientific community that evolution is scientifically
validated. I do not believe it is helpful to our students to
cloud discussions of science with non-scientific theories like
intelligent design that are not subject to experimental
scrutiny.
- Barack Obama, Discover Magazine.com, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
From the Uniform Velocity, which can be found here:
America Must Improve Scientific Understanding
By BGH
We are failing.
In a modern society increasingly ruled by scientific and technological advances, too many people in America are turning an ignorant eye toward the sciences, even to the extent of dismissing the value of a generic passing understanding.
Why? Is it too easy to focus on 'American Idol' and too difficult understand the difference between planetary revolution and rotation, or a virus and an infection.
A general science comprehension is not a matter of memorizing equations, chemical formulas or even constellations, it is a matter of understanding the scientific method, an awareness that the best way to understand the universe is through critical analytical methods, and that without science nearly all of the comforts and infrastructure we enjoy in our daily lives, most likely would not exist.
The ignorance is phenomenally stunning and frustrating at the same time. Hospitals are facing increasing difficulties fighting super-strains of bacterial infections because antibiotics have been over requested/over prescribed for every little sniffle and every little cough.
With little knowledge of the distinction between antivirals and antibiotics, patients will fall ill and aggressively request an antibiotic for what is more often a virus and not an infection, many doctors give in because of backlogged caseloads and patient persistence. The 'bugs' that were once controllable and curable with conventional antibiotics have now evolved a resistance.
It seems nearly every year, one of my co-workers will make the unfortunate claim that they got the flu after getting a flu shot (you cannot, it is a dead virus contained in the shot), then this simple correlation/causation fallacy leads them to abstain from the shot the following flu season. Additionally, there are great misunderstandings among the general population of what the 'flu' exhibits as symptoms, and many times the common cold is confused for influenza.
Then, there exists a continual questioning of funding for NASA. A common chorus among those who poorly understand science, "why are we spending millions of dollars to send robots into space or another planet when we have so many problems on earth?" This comment is extremely frustrating and most people simply do not understand the benefits garnered from the space program. Along with a greater understanding of other planets, we also learn more about our own.
Additionally, we have gleaned every-day technological advances in our homes, our work, the medical facilities and in our cars from space engineering and technology. The devices with which you text your friends, navigate a car with pinpoint accuracy and view breaking news from around the world would be most likely non-existent without the advances made since we first launched rockets into space.
But, the problem is so much more than appreciation, it is almost a complete incomprehension for many people when it comes to science and methods by which knowledge is garnered. Appreciation will not come from memorizing facts or formulas for a standardized test, it is fostered through inspired teachers who love the field and are excited to pass the knowledge on to others.
Science is not difficult when presented an interesting manner where we can relate it to our every day lives, too many people just do not see the connection.
America Must Improve Scientific Understanding
By BGH
We are failing.
In a modern society increasingly ruled by scientific and technological advances, too many people in America are turning an ignorant eye toward the sciences, even to the extent of dismissing the value of a generic passing understanding.
Why? Is it too easy to focus on 'American Idol' and too difficult understand the difference between planetary revolution and rotation, or a virus and an infection.
A general science comprehension is not a matter of memorizing equations, chemical formulas or even constellations, it is a matter of understanding the scientific method, an awareness that the best way to understand the universe is through critical analytical methods, and that without science nearly all of the comforts and infrastructure we enjoy in our daily lives, most likely would not exist.
The ignorance is phenomenally stunning and frustrating at the same time. Hospitals are facing increasing difficulties fighting super-strains of bacterial infections because antibiotics have been over requested/over prescribed for every little sniffle and every little cough.
With little knowledge of the distinction between antivirals and antibiotics, patients will fall ill and aggressively request an antibiotic for what is more often a virus and not an infection, many doctors give in because of backlogged caseloads and patient persistence. The 'bugs' that were once controllable and curable with conventional antibiotics have now evolved a resistance.
It seems nearly every year, one of my co-workers will make the unfortunate claim that they got the flu after getting a flu shot (you cannot, it is a dead virus contained in the shot), then this simple correlation/causation fallacy leads them to abstain from the shot the following flu season. Additionally, there are great misunderstandings among the general population of what the 'flu' exhibits as symptoms, and many times the common cold is confused for influenza.
Then, there exists a continual questioning of funding for NASA. A common chorus among those who poorly understand science, "why are we spending millions of dollars to send robots into space or another planet when we have so many problems on earth?" This comment is extremely frustrating and most people simply do not understand the benefits garnered from the space program. Along with a greater understanding of other planets, we also learn more about our own.
Additionally, we have gleaned every-day technological advances in our homes, our work, the medical facilities and in our cars from space engineering and technology. The devices with which you text your friends, navigate a car with pinpoint accuracy and view breaking news from around the world would be most likely non-existent without the advances made since we first launched rockets into space.
But, the problem is so much more than appreciation, it is almost a complete incomprehension for many people when it comes to science and methods by which knowledge is garnered. Appreciation will not come from memorizing facts or formulas for a standardized test, it is fostered through inspired teachers who love the field and are excited to pass the knowledge on to others.
Science is not difficult when presented an interesting manner where we can relate it to our every day lives, too many people just do not see the connection.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Welcome to Block III! This Block includes Biology I and Human Anatomy & Physiology. As we discussed in class, visit this site every week for interesting articles and images, random observations, as well as extra credit assignments.
For this first week, it's easy, just send me an email through this link, or by mailing me at jgiacobbe_southpointe@cox.net. That's it, dudes and dudettes, just send me an email for 25 extra points!
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