Re: NBC's show; the importance of continuing education

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I wrote half this note, now deleted, when I got to realize others
responded/described the show; however, if pertinent and elucidating, JERE,
can you forward Kris Krishtalka's email from vrt paleo?

Another flier I received recently indicated that a 'scientifically'
conducted poll showed 38% of Americans favor treating creationism theory
equally to evolutionary theory -- maybe the 38% is inflated to help their
drive for funding in 'combating' it - but nevertheless, I am amazed at how
polarized America is becoming and sometimes naive (from above, to the
fundamentalist, to this big convention in Atlanta for ministers (sorry ...
forget the name) pushing for fatherhood issues, etc. (noble, but was
definitely chauvinistic - not that there isn't a need for more responsible
parenting and peer support for taking responsibility in raising children).

And we are amazed -- but, we need to do what we can in our personal way - we
have a responsibility to do so NO?

Our responsibility in EDUCATION:
We need to remember - the rest of the world not on this newsgroup, or even
outside of the professional sphere we find ourselves communicating
with/living with, etc. have other priorities than education or science --
not to say they won't or are uneducatable - but many are trying to put food
on the table, raising children (good and bad - a product of varying
circumstances). Education occurs from high school to right after in college
for about 25% (i.e. ONLY some TWENTY FIVE PERCENT of high school students
graduate from college; and of the remaining how many took high school
seriously???), and for people in their 40s or retired who have the means to
do so and have the time and renewed curiosity to learn (I learned this in a
real way in teaching and elderhostel group this summer).

How to accomplish this? Some of us are educators, but more are not - but we
could volunteer -- in schools, in your community --- overcome our intrinsic
introvert nature and GET OUT THERE - SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW!!! Our youth and
OUR public NEED IT!!!!! WE are the mentors here.

ANALOGIES: The Field and other analogies.
Teach them more about examples from the field - probably the easiest way to
convey. Use ANALOGIES - the length of a table or yardstick as a measure of
earth time and how only about 1/10th (or 1/9th if you can't stand being
imprecise) was devoid of multicellular life; and how 1/10th (65MY) of that
part (600 MY) represents when dinosaurs became extinct. People do not
understand large numbers except by analogy. Take the scale of the earth
(radius 6400 km vs. the crust of 7-10km oceanic to 50ish km continental --
what is that in comparison -- then one can start comprehending how plates
can move).

One can look at field examples (or pictures or descriptions of where you
have been) and ask how the variety and magnitude of events noted in the
field can happen is 6000 years (for the fundamentalists). Challenge them as
to why the Bible should be treated as a scientific treatise (regardless of
whether you are a believer or an agnostic, or atheist -- for you will NEVER
win the arguement otherwise) - rather than a book having to do with the
morals the Bible is more often dealing with (and good luck). Regardless of
religious beliefs or non-beliefs, why should the bible be looked upon as a
scientific treatise. Even the Roman Catholics and other sects do not look
upon the Bible as a scientific treatise; nevertheless, they are also about
the only faith that does not accept birth control (although most Catholics
in the U.S. do practice birth control - obviously not so in other countries). 

blah blah blah -- 
...now, off my soapbox and to work.
peb
**********through summer sometime 1996**************
NEW email: belanger@darkwing.uoregon.edu
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Paul E. Belanger                 
Dept. of Geological Sciences         personal address:
University of Oregon                 P.O. Box 3234
Eugene, OR 97403-1272                Eugene, OR 97403
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FAX (541) 346-4692
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