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I was involved with the front end evaluation for an exhibit on physical 
anthropology/evolution in Philadelphia.  We actually interviewed a group 
of homeschooling kids and parents (NOT fundamentalists; mostly highly 
educated parents and very bright kids).  I was surprised to note that 
even in such a group there are a LOT of misconceptions about evolution - 
primary among them being "we are descended directly from apes," and 
"we're at the top of the evolution tree."

On a related note, I know folks with masters degrees in science (eg, RNs 
and elementary school teachers) who can't define the difference between 
a planet and a star, or who believe that gravity is caused by air pressure.

IMO, as an exhibit writer, part of the reason for this is that we are 
providing folks with "sound bites" of science-related information that 
have no lasting daily significance or context.  E.g., "stars are balls 
of burning gas" is an interesting factoid, but if you don't use that 
info for ten years, you tend to forget it!

Lisa
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> This discussion has really held my attention.  Having taught anthropology for many years (often deep in the Bible belt), I can attest to the many misconceptions that people hold around evolution.  Among the "doubtful but curious", survival of the fittest is often translated as, "Well, we're here, and we survived, so we must be at the peak", not understanding that evolution will, indeed, continue.
>
> By the way, re: cockroaches, see http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/db/animals/cockroaches-survive-nuclear-explosion.html
>
> To the best of my knowledge, normally, the lactose tolerant gene actually gets "turned off" in adulthood, to allow us to digest lactose as a child.  One mutation is that it DOESN'T get turned off and we continue to digest it into adulthood.  Totally lactose intolerant folks can never tolerate it and have a different mutation.
>
> Beryl
>
> On Jul 20, 2010, at 9:56 PM, Martin Weiss wrote:
>
>   
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>> *****************************************************************************
>>
>> Survival of the just fit enough. Evolution doesn't push for more than is
>> necessary for survival AND reproduction under any given environmental
>> conditions. Sure genes will mutate but in your hypothetical static
>> environment there would be "no" selection for the new traits necessary for
>> survival and reproduction and therefore no discernible evolution. I say
>> discernible because if there is no fossil record, or phenotypic or
>> behavioral etc etc changes. We would however be able to see genomic changes.
>> It is like lactose tolerance. The gene, produced by random mutation, was
>> selected for by a behavior;  milk drinking as children had an advantage
>> leading to survival and reproduction.. However, in cultures that were not
>> dairy herders the gene for lactase production certainly existed at some
>> very, very low level (random mutation demands that it did exist) but there
>> was no selection for it and it probably disappeared..
>>
>> Martin
>>
>> On Tue, Jul 20, 2010 at 5:32 PM, Mike Slayton <[log in to unmask]>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 don't know this, but even in a static environment, wouldn't the there
>>> still be a "survival of the fitness" thing going on?  That is, wouldn't
>>> nature favor the most successful traits and continue to evolve those traits?
>>>
>>> I'm presuming that would go on until everyone reached "angel" status.   And
>>> it may be, that as in the past, the definition of success and skills needed
>>> to be successful would change.  As a aside.....if for no other reason the
>>> definition of success  may change to address the all too human trait of
>>> trying to avoid boredom.
>>>
>>> Interesting pondering.
>>>
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>>
>> -- 
>> –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
>> Martin Weiss, PhD
>> Science Interpretation, Consultant
>> New York Hall of Science
>>
>> ***********************************************************************
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>>
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>
> Beryl Rosenthal
> Executive Director, Waterworks Museum
> [log in to unmask]
> 617.277.0065
>
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-- 

Lisa Jo Rudy
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Falmouth, MA
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