ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

>Jason wrote:
>I had a long conversation with a biologist friend over the weekend, 
>and concluded that semantics plays a big role in the general 
>public's resistance to--or reluctance to accept fully-- the concept 
>of evolution.
>
>To illustrate, we take this fairly basic lesson of evolution: 
>mutation happens when an accident occurs in DNA replication.
>The word "mutation" carries plenty of negative connotation in 
>popular parlance, and the word "accident"--which biologists seem 
>very comfortable using--makes evolution seem like a rather haphazard 
>circumstance.  My biologist friend casually used words like 
>"mistake" and "bad strand [of DNA]" as well.
>
>Using this vocabulary is a result of humancentric thinking (I think).
>It looks like accidents and mistakes to us, because similar 
>scenarios on a human-scale, in our day-to-days lives, are in fact 
>accidents and mistakes.
>
>As I now understand it, cells are constantly trying new DNA 
>patterns, maintaining readiness for changes in the environment.

Well, this seems to imply that cell are making themselves ready for 
these changes when in fact evolution is neutral having no goal. The 
heritable (genetic) changes occur randomly in populations with no 
purpose. Natural selection works on these random changes in 
populations.

I agree that deep understanding of evolution requires a familiarity 
with science language at a sophisticated level but recall that Darwin 
knew nothing of heredity (Mendel's work was not available to him), 
genes, mutations (though the word "sport" was used) or DNA and yet 
was able to posit an hypothesis about the driving force (natural 
selection) behind evolution. So if Darwin could understand evolution 
without modern science what is the problem to day? is it that we 
write about it in ways (language) that lay people cannot possibly 
understand? What would happen if we described natural selection and 
evolution in a naturalistic way, as Darwin did? Would there be less 
resistance and greater understanding? I am not sure. Darwin put off 
publication, in part, because he was concerned about his wives 
religious beliefs.

I am unaware of any studies that finely dissect the reasons for lay 
persons resistance to accepting evolution between understanding the 
language and religious beliefs. In fact somewhere I have read that a 
lot of people in the spectrum between literal interpreters of the 
bible and evolutionists are a lot of people who accept evolution 
(micro-evolution and macro-evolution) but draw the line at human 
evolution; and not for semantic reasons.

Martin

>  The majority of these changes in the genetic code are useless, or 
>even fatal for individuals, but, on balance, they allow life a 
>greater amount of flexibility, and the benefits far outweigh the 
>costs.
>
>Evolution and mutation is a very elegant means by which life can 
>continue on this planet despite radically changing climates and 
>landscapes.
>It's no accident.  It is the solution.
>
>
>___
>JasonJayStevens
>exhibits . annArborHands-OnMuseum . [log in to unmask]
>art . potterBelmarLabs . www.potterbelmar.org . [log in to unmask]
>On May 31, 2005, at 9:00 AM, Lisa Jo Rudy 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 did see the article.  I believe that article included a survey that said
>>  that 55% of people believe that we were created as we are!  wow.
>>
>>  HOWever!  In the survey was this question (I belive this is how it was
>>  worded) -- "do you believe that human beings adapted from less 
>>advanced life forms?"
>>   This is an intriguing and concerning way to word the question.
>>
>>  Here's why: by suggesting that we evolved from "less advanced" 
>>life forms, we
>>  are essentially suggesting that, adapatation by adaptation, we are evolving
>>  toward perfection.  That is -- any species which is NOW on earth is, by
>>  definition, MORE EVOLVED and therefore more PERFECT than species 
>>that were on the
>>  earth before us.
>>
>>  If we are teaching that concept as science -- and I believe many of us,
>>  inadvertantly, are doing just that -- then we are reinforcing the idea of
>>  intelligent design.  How could things get more and more perfect 
>>without something
>>  intending (and defining) such perfection?
>>
>>  What's very important -- and yet very difficult -- to get across is the
>>  notion that life evolves to changing circumstances.  That 
>>dinosaurs were as perfect
>>  (or more perfect) for their circumstances as we are for ours.  That humans
>>  have many adaptations that cause as much trouble as they create opportunity.
>>  Bipedalism is not a universally good thing -- given back injury, 
>>difficulty with
>>  birth, slower gait, etc. etc.!
>>
>>  Lisa
>>
>>
>>
>>  Lisa Jo Rudy, Writer/Consultant
>>  625 Chelten Hills Drive
>>  Elkins Park, PA 19027
>>  http://www.lisarudy.com/
>>  215-635-9735
>>
>>  ***********************************************************************
>>  More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
>>  Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at 
>>http://www.astc.org.
>>  To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
>>  message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
>>  [log in to unmask]
>>
>
>***********************************************************************
>More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
>Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
>To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
>message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
>[log in to unmask]

-- 
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

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]