Re: paleonet Activism and ID

[Ian Francis <ian.francis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Apologies if this has already been posted, but check out Richard Dawkin's 
excellent article in the Guardian yesterday

see

http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,,1559743,00.html

ian francis

At 06:51 02/09/2005 -0400, you wrote:
>>The conversation about what to do concerning ID is interesting, and
>>revealing somewhat of the nature of academics also.  The ID people have
>>been successful because they are organized and have resources.  The only
>>response that will have any success in response to this is organization
>>on the part of those resisting ID and the politicization of science.
>>Letters are OK, but a local organization that joins university faculty
>>to school teachers and interested parents is better.  Individual action
>>is OK, group action has more impact.  The group coordinates action, and
>>gives confidence to those facing challenges from creationists etc.  We
>>can't win this one fighting individually any more than individual
>>workers can stop a company from sending all their jobs to a third world
>>country.
>>
>>So, to those who asked what to do...organize a coalition of scientists
>>in your region who can lend support and coordinated activity in the face
>>of challenges to science education.  The public needs to see that almost
>>all the science community is united on this.
>
>I am inclined to agree with Prof. Loubere.
>
>Sadly, the best selling point of "intelligent design" for the lay public 
>is that if you accept ID, then you don't have to think about a whole lot 
>of hard questions anymore.
>
>To the non-scientist one of the most annoying things about science is that 
>it requires your repeated attention since its ideas are undergoing 
>constant re-examination, refinement and revision.
>
>For most people this is like owning a car that needs servicing all the 
>time.  They would much rather get a car that just runs, so that they can 
>just gas it and go.  That is what intelligent design is like.  ID says 
>"Listen, don't worry about all these difficult problems in the 
>universe.  They're beyond any of us."  That's a pretty good sales pitch.
>
>In order to overcome this advantage, scientists and science educators are 
>going to have to re-tool the way science is taught in public schools and 
>at the university level.  How to do that is another discussion entirely.
>
>Bill
>--
>---------------------------------------------------
>William P. Chaisson
>Adjunct Assistant Professor
>Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
>University of Rochester
>Rochester, NY  14627
>607-387-3892