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That's why I placed the word belief in quotes. It's not the right word to
use in this context. People don't believe evolution - they accept it (or
not). The word certainly doesn't apply to whether or not evolution is a
fact. But, if you look at the majority of mainstream media articles, that's
the word they use. It's unfortunate.
Amanda





----- Original Message -----
From: "martin weiss" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 9:46 AM
Subject: Re: Unscientific American: US Almost Last in Understanding
Evolution


> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
>
****************************************************************************
*
>
> >
> >At 14:21 19/01/2007, Amanda wrote:
> >
>
>>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/unscientific-american-u_b_38983.htm
l
> >>
> >>There's an excellent graph at the link above, showing "belief" in
> >>evolution, for many countries...
> >
> >Even though most Islamic countries are omitted, the graph clearly
> >shows that Americans have more in common with Muslims than they
> >might have realised.
> >
> >BELIEF in evolution?
> >
> >We understand what the word means in this context and it makes
> >perfect sense to us. But how is it perceived by the alienated 60%?
> >Remembering T.H. Huxley's definition of scientific agnosticism,
> >shouldn't we discipline ourselves to communicate science as a
> >'method', not a 'creed'?
>
>
> Absolutely! The last thing I think we should be doing is falling into
> the trap of being accused of presenting science as a new religion.
> There are many misconceptions - that even scientists have - about
> science and we have to be on message about them. If there is one that
> is most important if is that science is a way of observing the
> natural world and testing these observations.
>
> Martin
>
>
> >
> >
> >[log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
> >*
> >Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
> >Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
> >*
> >Ian Russell
> ***********************************************************************
> --
> Martin Weiss, Ph.D
> Vice President, Science
> New York Hall of Science
> 47-01 111 th Street
> Corona, New York 11368
> 718 699 0005 x 356
>
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