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This argument is a stand in for consistency of belief and whether or not it's essential. I call your attention to a talk at the recent AAAS. A school of fish depends more upon blind acceptance rather than individual decision making based upon a broad degree of sensory input and independent behavior. Not that the match is perfect, but we may discovering our inner fish in both cases.
C
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 2, 2011, at 12:08 PM, Jack W Cannon <[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.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Thanks Again Jennie and Jamie,
>
> Let me offer an alternative explanation to the apparent propensity of people being more willing to agree with something framed as a scientific theory or technical issue.
>
> Let me also use the example that Jamie provided.
>
> 74% marked true for the following statement, "according to the theory of evolution, human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals", but only 44% marked true when the phrase, "according to the theory of evolution" was omitted.
>
> Suppose I was a die-hard fundamentalist who believed that a completely literal interpretation of the book of Genesis was the absolute basis of all knowledge. I would mark "False" for the statement, "Human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals".
>
> Now let us also suppose that I read the alternative question very carefully. It starts with the phrase, "according to the theory of evolution". I would then mark it "True". NOT because the question is framed as a scientific theory or technical issue and NOT because I believe in evolution but because I believe that the theory of evolution makes such a claim.
>
> The same can be said of my neighbor's house falling down. I may not believe that my neighbor's house may fall down but I may believe that the engineering reports state that it may.
>
> I certainly do not know if such a critical interpretation of the question is valid or not but I do like to think that if I were in such a position I would respond to the questions as I just detailed.
>
> Jack Cannon
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Jennie Dusheck
> Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 11:26 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Creationists as proponents of academic freedom
>
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> At 12:09 PM -0500 3/2/11, Alonzo, Jamie wrote:
>> These differences probably indicate that many Americans hold religious beliefs that cause them to be skeptical of established scientific ideas, even when they have some basic familiarity with those ideas."
>
> An additional explanation is that people are more willing to agree
> with something framed as a scientific theory or technical issue.
>
> E.g., "My neighbor's house may fall down next year." versus
> "According to engineering reports, my neighbor's house may fall down
> next year."
>
> I'm postulating that more people would agree with the second statement.
> Jennie Dusheck
>
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Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
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