Archives for November 2005 | The Art of Teaching Science

Monthly Archives: November 2005

Using the Phoniness of “Intelligent Design” to Improve Science Teaching

November 19, 2005

Charles Krauthammer, in his piece in the Washington Post, Phoney Theory, False Conflict points out how intelligent design foolishly pits evolution against faith. As I have discussed here, intelligent design—by its own nature—is not science. Science involves asking questions. Science involves seeking answers to questions unknown. Science involves inquiry. Intelligent design—by its own nature—is a dead end because it claims that some things simply are too complicated to be investigated further.… Read more

Closing Arguments (in the Dover Case)

By Jack Hassard

November 18, 2005

On November 4, the closing arguments were presented to the Judge in the Dover, PA case which was brought to court by a group of parents in Dover against the Dover School District and Board. You can read the transcripts of this 21 day trial and learn a great deal about science education, evolutionary theory, Intelligent Design, and how a small community was pulled apart by a four-paragraph statement that was imposed on science teachers in the district.… Read more

The People Have Spoken

By Jack Hassard

November 10, 2005

Whew! What a day. First, the court case in Dover, PA came to a close on last Friday, and then yesterday all of the school board members that supported the inclusion of Intelligent Design into the science curriculum were swept out of office. That’s right they all lost their bid for re-election. Is the Judge listening? And in Kansas, the State Board of Education approved the new edition of the State’s Science Standards which redefined evolution, pointing out that it is a flawed theory.… Read more

Galileo’s Mistake

By Jack Hassard

November 2, 2005

Galileo’s Mistake. That title of a book caught my attention. I have always been interested in Galileo’s life and the contributions that he made to science, thus, the title was intriguing. Written by Wade Rowland, Ethics in Communication professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, the book is extremely timely in light the culture war going on between science and religion. Royland’s thesis is that it was a mistake for Galileo to insist that science—and only science—provides the truth about reality.… Read more