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	Very interesting thread and the suggestion of personal action 
interests me enormously.

	There IS an opportunity for institution to take action on 
evolution (see posting An Opportunity). Maybe the thread, and the 
companion thread on religion, is too engaging for your to have 
noticed my offer and request. But few have responded. I really do 
look forward to hearing form some of you at least. I am appending it 
below.

Martin

An Opportunity

We are preparing a proposal to NSF ISE and would like to form an 
advisory committee of science centers/children's museum/natural 
history museums who have an interest in natural sciences. This 
research project will be  focused on children 6 - 12 years of age. It 
will be based upon a body of cognitive and developmental research 
that suggest that activities can be developed for children to prepare 
them to learn and understand the science principles of evolution. The 
role of the committee will be to review materials, offer advice based 
upon experience, help develop strategies for enlisting community 
support for the exhibition (in case that proves to be a difficulty 
for any venue), and be a potential venue for one of the deliverables 
of the project; a traveling exhibition. I am particularly looking for 
museums that  may have difficulty hosting the project because of 
community issues. This project has the potential to be generalizable 
to how programs can be developed to foster children's understanding 
of any complex science based upon an understanding of cognitive 
development. In this case the complex science will be evolution 
principles.

	Please contact me off line ([log in to unmask]) for more 
information.  I will require an affirmation of institutional interest 
and approval for your involvement. I am particularly interested in 
how being involved in this project will further your institutions 
program goals. There will be a requirement for attendance at one 
meeting per year for the three year project, if funded. Funds for 
travel to either an annual ASTC or ACM meeting for the project 
meeting will be available.


>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>*****************************************************************************
>
>Charles Stout wrote:
>
>======
>Growing up in the Midwest, I met  many farmers and some ag researchers who
>knew genetics, selection, hybridization, the lineage of cattle and horses
>and peaches and blueberries;  they understood pathogen vectors and knew to
>anticipate potential effects of chemical exposure among field researchers
>and farm workers -- but they  still did'nt accept human evolution. It didn't
>directly affect their lives or their practice.
>======
>
>Now THIS seems to play into one of the reasons we need to emphasize the
>scientific process, not just the fact(oid)s when teaching science. When I do
>the always popular glowing pickle demo, I tell audiences that two variables
>which make the pickle a good conductor are salt and water... ergo one reason
>to be super careful about safety with electricity is that the human body has
>these same two variables in it, ergo, we also are conductors. It's not just
>to keep some shmo from trying this very dangerous experiment at home, I try
>to point out: if a process applies to something with X variables, it may
>well apply equally well to something with the same variables. The people
>Charles talks about apparently didn't think that the process they saw in
>other living things applied to humans, even though we're pretty similar.
>
>A few other things...
>
>I also give props to Stephen Jay Gould's "Rocks of Ages", on how religion
>and science are indeed different, but needn't be at each others' throats. I
>was ticked off that a coworker was going to the ASTC conference in Tampa
>some years back and I wasn't, because Gould was the keynote speaker. I told
>her she was not allowed to return unless she got him to sign my copy of RoA.
>(She did return.)
>
>Many people have heard Einstein's quote about God not playing dice with the
>cosmos... I wonder how many know that he was saying quantum mechanics
>couldn't be true (and that he was wrong!) or that Einstein was a firm
>atheist?
>
>This story of the IMAX controversy was in The Hartford Courant today as
>well. The headline referred to creationists as "Evolution Deniers" (I like
>it!) but a critical reading of the text made it clear that there was no
>specific hubbub raised by any such deniers, just a fearful anticipation of
>same.
>
>I, and others, have harshed on those who decided not to show the IMAX
>Volcanoes flick, feeling they caved in when they shouldn't - and that's a
>good point, IMHO. But I will say this: I don't know from personal
>experience, but I can damn well infer that the climate created by some folks
>in certain parts of the country is indeed a scary one. I hope I'm not
>opening a can of worms here (*dons flameproof suit*) but Tom DeLay
>jubilantly called the very tragic case of Terry Schiavo "a gift from God".
>When a politician can think that the Almighty has done him a favor by
>delivering the suffering of a woman and her family for political gain... I
>can see why there might be just cause for fear of religious wackos.
>KnowhadImean?
>
>Jonah Cohen
>Outreach & Public Programs Manager
>Science Center of Connecticut
>
>"If you hear only one song this year, there's something terribly wrong with
>you."
>     -They Might Be Giants
>
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-- 
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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