ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
I like it, Robin. And I think it would get the attention of visitors.
I couldn't think of a good title when I wrote my statement -- but I
knew someone out there would be able to. :-)
Any other ideas? As Clifford said, the title is of utmost importance.
Kodi
>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>*****************************************************************************
>
>How about "The Science of Evolution"?
>
>Robin Frisch
>MindSplash
>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
>>institutions.
>>
>>*****************************************************************************
>>
>> Great job, Jeffrey. The deadlines I imposed was pretty arbitrary, so
>> none of us should sweat it in the short haul. In the long haul we need
>> to be clear to our public. It's still worth doing a second round, if
>> anyone has the energy and the writing skills, to take the best of the
>> material presented so far and make an even better version. Posting
>> such a statement- level headed, TRUTHFUL, and informative is such an
>> easy way for all science centers to deal with misconceptions of science
>> and evolution without losing visitors that I suggest to everyone that
>> this is a path of least resistance. Make a good looking copy, put it
>> on a kiosk, (no budget? Put it on a music stand!) and leave it in one
>> of your halls even by itself.
>>
>> What should the title be? Evolution is Science? Science and Evolution?
>>
>> The title is important.
>>
>> Clifford
>>
>>
>> On Apr 9, 2005, at 7:58 PM, Kodi Jeffery wrote:
>>
>>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
>>> Centers
>>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
>>> institutions.
>>> ***********************************************************************
>>> ******
>>>
>>> I know I'm past the "official due date" for science centers'
>>> statements regarding evolution, but I decided it was worth offering my
>>> suggestion, regardless. It's longer than I'd like (373 words), but I'm
>>> having trouble finding a place to shorten it -- unless it was to cut
>>> one or both of the last two (very short) paragraphs. I think that
>>> opinions might differ as to whether to keep them, so I'm offering the
>>> whole thing, here. I'd love to hear suggestions on ways to better it
>>> and hope people find it useful. (I admit to wondering whether visitors
>>> might be willing to read a longer piece of text if it were regarding a
>>> topic of concern to them -- and I think we'd all agree that evolution
>>> is a topic of concern to many of our visitors).
>>>
>>> Kodi Jeffery, Ph.D
>>> Informal Science Educator
>>> Currently seeking employment
>>>
>>> Science is about testing ideas. In fact, if there's no way to test an
>>> idea's validity, that idea can't be considered science. Some ideas can
>>> be tested directly, such as whether a certain medicine can destroy
>>> cancer cells. Others can't be controlled the same way, but as long as
>>> there are ways to apply discriminating testing, the ideas can still be
>>> scientific. Copernicus' idea of a sun-centered solar system was heresy
>>> among people who considered Earth the center of the universe. But
>>> despite being unable to control the planets for tests, scientists
>>> could still make predictions based on this idea. They could predict
>>> eclipses and explain phases of the moon and intricate planetary
>>> motions. And the more people could explain and predict, the stronger
>>> this idea became. Eventually, it became a theory, in the proper sense
>>> of the word: the very highest "achievement" of any idea in science.
>>>
>>> A valid theory explains huge amounts of data; it is then used to make
>>> further predictions and design new tests. The more we study and learn,
> >> the better we can refine and validate the theory. Evolutionary theory
>>> has been used to synthesize data from geology to microbiology. It has
>>> synthesized huge amounts of widely disparate data, and scientists use
>>> it to make seemingly endless predictions and plans. For example,
>>> evolution helps us understand why antibiotics stop working after a
>>> period of time and helps us plan new strategies for future
>>> medications. If this theory had failed in a prediction or explanation,
>>> even once, scientists would have had to revise or even discard the
>>> theory. But the idea has held strong, despite decades of rigorous
>>> testing, so much so that it has become the unifying theory of biology.
>>> Without it, nothing makes sense.
>>>
>>> Contrary to popular conceptions, science takes no stand on religion.
>>> People once believed a sun-centered solar system conflicted with their
>>> religious beliefs, but they eventually realized that science was
>>> merely explaining the natural processes that make our world work.
>>>
>>> As a science center, we respect the most basic tenets of science,
>>> namely that we must keep an open mind while we test our world, then
>>> let those tests teach us what they will. Evolutionary theory continues
>>> to teach us new things every day.
> >>
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