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

I don't think anyone is suggesting that we condemn people who don't  
believe that natural selection and related theories explain biological  
change over time, or to establish a moral hierarchy among believers in  
various world views.  I think it is both fair and maybe necessary to  
point out the power of the scientific explanation and its differences  
from religious explanations.

On a related topic, a colleague of mine, a biologist, surveyed teachers  
and students to see the extent to which they distinguish between  
"evolution" which he calls a phenomenon, and "natural selection" which  
he calls a theory.  I think that is the terminology he uses, and it is  
an interesting distinction for me.  I think it is going to be published  
in a peer reviewed journal soon, so I'm not sure if I can share the  
paper, but I will ask him if anyone is interested.

I think the question of environmentalism is kind of a done deal, every  
informal or formal educational institution seems to accept that human  
caused environmental degradation is both a fact and something that  
should be minimized or reversed if possible.

Eric Siegel
Executive VP
    Programs and Planning
New York Hall of Science
47-01 111th Street
Queens, NY 11368
esiegel at nyscience dot org

On Apr 13, 2005, at 7:58 PM, 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.
> *********************************************************************** 
> ******
>
> With all the conversation going on about evolution and the  
> importance/meaning of science, I'd be interested in museum  
> professionals' take on the questions --
>
> should science centers take moral  positions on issues in which they  
> are involved?  If so, what should those moral positions be?  Should  
> all ASTC institutions share the same moral positions?
>
> For example -- do ASTC institutions have a moral obligation to take a  
> stand on evolution?  Or should they simply clarify the difference  
> between evolutionary theory as a scientific concept and creationism as  
> a religious concept)?  Should ASTC institutions take an ethical stand  
> on topics like cloning, global warming, etc. -- or is their purpose to  
> engage visitors in non-judgemental exploration of scientific topics,  
> and to help visitors better understand the scientific method without  
> reference to ethics one way or another?
>
> (just keeping the conversation lively!!)
>
> ***********************************************************************
> 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
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>

***********************************************************************
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
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