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Why teach
Evolution?
Evolution is a FACT
AND
and a THEORY
Science as a Way of
Knowing
the Natural World
Lecture
Syllabus
IB 100/101 Home
Page
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Why should we study evolution?
- Judge Rules: Intelligent Design Can't Be Taught in Class from livescience.com
- Kansas school board's evolution ruling angers science
community [1999] from cnn.com,
- Kansas school board redefines science: New standards
question accuracy of evolutionary theory [AND AGAIN 2005] from cnn.com,
- Evolution and Education in the State of Illinois
Check out the "Goal 12 - Concepts and Principles" link at the
bottom of the page.
Goal 12.A.4c "Describe processes by which organisms change over time
using evidence from comparative anatomy and physiology, embryology, the
fossil record, genetics and biochemistry."
Goal 12.B.5b Compare and predict how life forms can adapt to changes
in the environment by applying concepts of change and constancy (e.g.,
variations within a population increase the likelihood of survival under
new conditions).
- Dealing with Antievolutionism, the importance of
keeping the study of evolution in school curricula.
- Eight Significant Court Decisions from National Center for Science
Education
- Five Major Misconceptions about Evolution from talkorigins.org
(Thanks to Miles for reviewing this web page in Web
Crossing)
- Evolution has never been observed.
- Evolution violates the 2nd law of thermodynamics.
- There are no transitional fossils.
- The theory of evolution says that life originated, and evolution
proceeds, by random chance.
- Evolution is only a theory; it hasn't been proved.
- In the Name of Darwin from PBS Evolution
series. An early misuse of Darwin's concept of natural selection to
"explain" social inequities and promote eugenics. Thanks to Eric for
reviewing this article in Web Crossing.
- Science and Creationism: A View from the National Acadamy
of Scinces
See Especially The Conclusion to this booklet.
- Teaching About Evolution And The Nature Of Science
from The National Academy of Sciences
- Pope John Paul II, Truth Cannot Contradict Truth
Address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences October 22, 1996
Evolution as a fact and a theory
Evolution--the process by which the genetic composition of a
population changes over time--is a FACT.
- This process is all that is required to produce the diversity and
similarity of all life on this planet today.
- Evolution has occurred; it still is occurring; it has been directly
observed, documented, demonstrated, and described. Supporting evidence
for it is overwhelming (and obtained from a wide range of scientific
fields).
The mechanisms by which evolution occurs (e.g., natural selection,
mutation, genetic drift) are presented as SCIENTIFIC THEORIES.
- Several theories have been proposed and debated. It is far from
clear how evolution proceeds in every detail.
In summary, Darwin established the FACT of evolution, and proposed a
THEORY, natural selection, to explain the mechanism of evolution.
Science as a Way of Knowing the Natural World:
- A scientist believes that the natural world is a physical reality,
but that we can only construct a conceptual view of that reality based
upon observation and experimentation.
- Each of us has our own view of the natural world that is viewed
through the lens of our previous experience and knowledge.
- Science strives to be objective, and is founded in the belief that
events can be explained fully by natural causes. Conversely,
explanations based in supernatural causes are not considered to be
scientific.
Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life, By Steven
Jay Gould
- Scientific explanations of phenomena observed in the natural world
are called hypotheses (singular: hypothesis).
- Scientific hypotheses must be testable and falsifiable. If the
hypothesis is incorrect it can be tested by experimentation and/or
observation and proved to be false.
- Experimentation and observations can increase our confidence that a
hypothesis is a correct explanation of a phenomenon, but can never
absolutely prove a hypothesis to be true.
- Once a hypothesis has been supported by many experiments and/or
observations it is considered by the community of scientists to be a
theory. (Note that this is very different from the common use of the
word, meaning an opinion or a guess.)
- The conclusions of science are subject to change. New studies,
which might utilize new techniques and equipment, may produce new
information that leads to the conclusion that previously accepted
theories need to be modified or changed entirely.
- Great science is replaced by greater science.
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