The National Center for Science Education is now also engaging on teaching good science on climate change. I've long been a member, because they've been for even longer helping ensure that science is taught in biology classes. I'm not quick on the announcement, it was originally made on the 16th. But if you haven't seen the mention yet, it's new to you :-)
I'll add a few thoughts of my own as a long-time member, and one who had suggested some time back to the director, Eugenie C. Scott, that they take this step. One of the things I like about the NCSE is that their focus is on the science. They're not the place to go if, say, you want someone to lobby for your idea for solving climate change. They're a good place for parents, teachers, school boards, to go with questions and concerns about whether the science in your school's textbook is good, or is even science. NCSE is also a good place to go to find out what is happening in your state regarding attempts to change the science curriculum away from science. The main page address is http://ncse.com/
It was partly the tracking of attempts to remove teaching evolution in biology classes and other such anti-scientific moves that made me suggest also covering climate change science. Increasingly, over the last 10 years, bills opposed to teaching good science in biology classrooms have been including directives opposed to teaching good science in earth science classrooms. Bills to deny that CO2 is a greenhouse gas, or deny that there's a greenhouse effect, or to deny that CO2 is increasing and this is due to human activity, and other versions of denial.
Showing posts with label evolution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label evolution. Show all posts
24 January 2012
28 November 2009
Science Anniversaries
150 and 400 years ago, two major events in the history of science occurred.
400 years ago, the telescope was invented and started to be used for astronomy. For $100-$150 you can now get a telescope far superior to what Galileo used to carry out a major revolution in our understanding of the universe. More in a moment.
150 years ago yesterday (November 27th), Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was published. Different major revolution in our understanding of the universe. You can read this for yourself. I don't actually recommend reading it unless you are really interested in history of science, and like Victorian-era writing. (If you like my style, you're a couple steps in that direction. My wife noted that I write something like Trollope, a prolific Victorian whom she likes.) We've learned an awful lot in the 150 years since then, and many things that were mysteries to Darwin, such as how inheritance occurs, are well-known to us now. Instead I'll suggest you read the evolution sections of modern biology texts. Two such texts recommended by my biologist friends are Futuyma's, and Campbell and Reece.
400 years ago, the telescope was invented and started to be used for astronomy. For $100-$150 you can now get a telescope far superior to what Galileo used to carry out a major revolution in our understanding of the universe. More in a moment.
150 years ago yesterday (November 27th), Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was published. Different major revolution in our understanding of the universe. You can read this for yourself. I don't actually recommend reading it unless you are really interested in history of science, and like Victorian-era writing. (If you like my style, you're a couple steps in that direction. My wife noted that I write something like Trollope, a prolific Victorian whom she likes.) We've learned an awful lot in the 150 years since then, and many things that were mysteries to Darwin, such as how inheritance occurs, are well-known to us now. Instead I'll suggest you read the evolution sections of modern biology texts. Two such texts recommended by my biologist friends are Futuyma's, and Campbell and Reece.
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