Is US becoming hostile to science?

[CptStern]

"A bitter debate about how to teach evolution in U.S. high schools is prompting a crisis of confidence among scientists, and some senior academics warn that science itself is under assault.

In the past month, the interim president of Cornell University and the dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine have both spoken on this theme, warning in dramatic terms of the long-term consequences.

"Among the most significant forces is the rising tide of anti-science sentiment that seems to have its nucleus in Washington but which extends throughout the nation," said Stanford's Philip Pizzo in a letter posted on the school Web site on October 3.


Rawlings said the dispute was widening political, social, religious and philosophical rifts in U.S. society. "When ideological division replaces informed exchange, dogma is the result and education suffers," he said"



an interesting read



a good example

 

[Absinthe]

I don't blame them for thinking such things. How so much of America can hold such a willful disregard of the scientific process and substitute it with dogmatic pseudo-science "reasoning" is frightening.

 

[kirovman]

They cast off so easily what had previously advanced them so far.

If they do become hostile to science, then the nation will truely go down the pan, especially with new emerging giants embracing science.

 

[Absinthe]

Polls for many years have shown that a majority of Americans are at odds with key scientific theory. For example, as CBS poll this month found that 51 percent of respondents believed humans were created in their present form by God. A further 30 percent said their creation was guided by God. Only 15 percent thought humans evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years.

Other polls show that only around a third of American adults accept the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe, even though the concept is virtually uncontested by scientists worldwide.

"When we ask people what they know about science, just under 20 percent turn out to be scientifically literate," said Jon Miller, director of the center for biomedical communication at Northwestern University."

****ing Christ.

 

[CptStern]

I think they'd like it that way:


"In the past five years, the scientific community has often seemed at odds with the Bush administration over issues as diverse as global warming, stem cell research and environmental protection. Prominent scientists have also charged the administration with politicizing science by seeking to shape data to its own needs while ignoring other research.

Evangelical and fundamentalist Christians have built a powerful position within the Republican Party and no Republican, including Bush, can afford to ignore their views.

This was dramatically illustrated in the case of Terri Schiavo earlier this year, in which Republicans in Congress passed a law to keep a woman in a persistent vegetative state alive against her husband's wishes, and Bush himself spoke out in favor of "the culture of life."



oh and it's worse than I thought:


"For example, as CBS poll this month found that 51 percent of respondents believed humans were created in their present form by God. A further 30 percent said their creation was guided by God. Only 15 percent thought humans evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years.

Other polls show that only around a third of American adults accept the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe, even though the concept is virtually uncontested by scientists worldwide. "

 

[Apocalypse89]

Well, at least the US education system isn't contradicting itself like my countrys.

Here, I go to my Arabic class, mention evolution, and my teacher replies that "anyone who believes we descended from monkeys is a monkey themself."

Then I go to Biology, and I am taught about the various hominids that came before the modern human, and the common ancestors we share with chimpanzees, gorillas, etc.

Heh.

 

[kirovman]

Well, at least the US education system isn't contradicting itself like my countrys.

Here, I go to my Arabic class, mention evolution, and my teacher replies that "anyone who believes we descended from monkeys is a monkey themself."

Then I go to Biology, and I am taught about the various hominids that came before the modern human, and the common ancestors we share with chimpanzees, gorillas, etc.

Heh.

lol, sounds fun :O

 

[CptStern]

Well, at least the US education system isn't contradicting itself like my countrys.

Here, I go to my Arabic class, mention evolution, and my teacher replies that "anyone who believes we descended from monkeys is a monkey themself."

Then I go to Biology, and I am taught about the various hominids that came before the modern human, and the common ancestors we share with chimpanzees, gorillas, etc.

Heh.

sounds no different than a christian school

 

[$kelet0r]

Here, I go to my Arabic class, mention evolution, and my teacher replies that "anyone who believes we descended from monkeys is a monkey themself."

Then I go to Biology, and I am taught about the various hominids that came before the modern human, and the common ancestors we share with chimpanzees, gorillas, etc.

happens everywhere unfortunately - hail ignorance

 

[diluted]

America is digging it's own grave. The rest of the world is quickly surpassing it in science. Too bad, so sad.

 

[VictimOfScience]

America is digging it's own grave. The rest of the world is quickly surpassing it in science. Too bad, so sad.

Not, you'll note, in Computer Science, though there are some well-thought-of, up-and-coming universities in China and India.

 

[Direwolf]

A) Something we've learned time and time again is that most polls of this nature are BS. Pure and simple. They're not conducted, compiled, or interpreted correctly. Oddly enough I took a class on this in my public school.

B) I really doubt America as a whole is any more hostile towards science than its ever been. Theres always been issues of debate on scientific topics, many mind-shatteringly stupid. We're talking everything from the Scopes monkey trial to stem-cell research. It's nothing new and probably not any worse than its ever been. It does, however, probably get more press than it used to.

 

[CptStern]

A) Something we've learned time and time again is that most polls of this nature are BS. Pure and simple. They're not conducted, compiled, or interpreted correctly. Oddly enough I took a class on this in my public school.

B) I really doubt America as a whole is any more hostile towards science than its ever been. Theres always been issues of debate on scientific topics, many mind-shatteringly stupid. We're talking everything from the Scopes monkey trial to stem-cell research. It's nothing new and probably not any worse than its ever been. It does, however, probably get more press than it used to.

wha? the poll is on whether or not americans believe in evolution ..it's not a poll on whether or not the US is hostile towards science ...the scientific community made that statement it wasnt a poll

 

[Sulkdodds]

Is us becoming hostile to grammar?

Rather worrying, not entirely surprising and what's their definition of 'scientifically literate'?

 

[Direwolf]

My poll comment was in reference to this:

Polls for many years have shown that a majority of Americans are at odds with key scientific theory. For example, as CBS poll this month found that 51 percent of respondents believed humans were created in their present form by God. A further 30 percent said their creation was guided by God. Only 15 percent thought humans evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years.

Other polls show that only around a third of American adults accept the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe, even though the concept is virtually uncontested by scientists worldwide.

"When we ask people what they know about science, just under 20 percent turn out to be scientifically literate," said Jon Miller, director of the center for biomedical communication at Northwestern University."

It deals with the big bang, scientific literacy, and evolution.

 

[dream431ca]

Uh Oh!! This is not good. only 15% believe that we evolved from other creatures!!?? Reality check is in order. But that doesn't mean I don't believe in God..yes I am christian..but I'm not INSANE! Science is about evidence, not belief...that's the very core of science...and the evidence points out that we did evolve from other creatures.

 

[falconwind]

i think a big problem is that dogma is much for alluring from a lazy/ignorant person's POV.

Science requires that you actually learn and understand, whereas dogma requires only belief and nothing else. So instead of learning about evolution, darwin's theories, and natural selection, one can simply say "God made us. End of story."

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion, without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy