Blue Collar Scientist

With unanimous approval, the Taylor County (Florida) School Board has approved a resolution supporting creationism and condemning science (hat tip to Pharyngula):

Whereas, the Florida Department of Education has drafted and is now proposing new Sunshine State Standards for Science, the Taylor County School Board opposes the implementation of the new standards as currently presented.

Whereas, the new Sunshine State Standards for Science no longer present evolution as theory but as “the fundamental concept underlying all of biology and is supported in multiple forms of scientific evidence,” we are requesting that the State Board of Education direct the Florida Department of Education to revise/edit the new Sunshine State Standards for Science so that evolution is presented as one of several theories as to how the universe was formed.

Whereas, the Taylor County School Board recognizes the importance of providing a thorough and comprehensive Science education to all the students in Taylor County and to all students in the state of Florida, it recognizes as even more important the need to present these standards through a fair and balanced approach, an approach that does not unfairly exclude other theories as to the creation of the universe.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Taylor County School Board of Taylor County, Perry, Florida, that the Board urges the State Board of Education to direct the Florida Department of Education to revise the new Sunshine State Standards for Science such that evolution is not presented as fact, but as one of several theories.

Yes, yes, we all understand: presenting “evolution as one of several theories” is code for “we want to teach fundamentalist Christian creationism in science class but we don’t want to tell the truth about what we’re doing;” that evolution is supported by an overwhelming amount of evidence; that creationism rebranded as “intelligent design” is supported quite literally by nothing; etc. The usual sources have the facts of the matter well covered.

To me the most interesting parts are the bits I’ve bolded - I’ve just gotta ask: What?? Evolution is not a theory about the origin of the universe. The leading contender for that would be the big bang theory. This is something that Alaska schoolchildren in the sixth grade already seem to know pretty much universally. (I don’t instruct for grades lower than this - for all I know, second graders here grasp the distinction between the big bang and evolution.)

So why is it that an entire school board composed of adults is unaware of this? I have a hypothesis.

Evolution is a long-established theory comprising a large number of natural laws that integrate a vast number of disciplines (biochemistry, genetics, taxonomy, statistics, information theory, medicine, pharmacology, and others). All these disciplines have contributed an overwhelming amount of evidence supporting evolution. Creationists hate people who accept evolution, and have devoted vast numbers of books and websites to tearing down the manifestation of civilization and human advancement that evolution represents.

Similarly, the big bang theory is long-established, comprises a large number of natural laws that integrate a vast number of disciplines (astronomy, physics, astrophysics, chemistry, statistics, optics, topology, quantum mechanics, and others). All of those disciplines have contributed an overwhelming amount of evidence supporting the big bang. Creationists hate people who accept the big bang, and have devoted vast numbers of books and websites to tearing down the manifestation of civilization and human advancement that big bang theory represents.

I’m seeing the similarities here, so I guess it is not impossible that the IDiots on the Taylor County School Board are being baffled by the fine distinctions between the two theories.

PS to Taylor County folks: You do understand that you elected people who want to portray you to the rest of the world as dishonest and stupid - and that it is working - right?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 at 7:53 am and is filed under dimwits, religious extremism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.