Let the kids decide

Red State Rabble’s excellent coverage of the Kansas hearings today reports on the views of some of the candidates running for the Greencastle-Antrim School Board (Georgia). I was taken by this quote from Charles McClain:

I'm in favor of teaching (ID)… We need to give kids both sides of the equation and let them make up their own mind.

Of course – let the kids decide! How could I have forgotten about these vital final steps in the scientific method? How silly of me. This is, of course, how science works (simplified):

1. Testable hypothesis is developed by scientists
2. Hypothesis is tested by scientists
3. Results written up and submitted for peer review
4. Paper passes peer review and is published
5. Other scientists repeat the experiments and confirm results
6. New theory is eventually accepted by scientists
7. Theory is presented to schoolchildren for evaluation
8. Theory passes schoolchildren review and is new scientific theory

Now you might have thought that kids go to school to learn the latest scientific theories. How outdated! No, children are actually the final arbiters in the scientific method. Let the kids make up their minds what is correct. Natch.

I see a couple of problems, though. First, the IDiots are missing steps 1 through 6, and want to go straight to 7 and 8. Second, steps 7 and 8 don’t make sense anyway. Maybe this needs a rethink?

Comments

[Blue State]

I think what's important is that the kids, before they leave school, have a damn good understanding of the scientific method, and of how you determine the validity of what are otherwise competing plausible claims. They'll hear about creationism outside of school, and will have to decide for themselves.

It would be unwise to hope they will beleive in evolution just because we tell them that creationism is junk and only evolution is allowed. Even if that is true.

[Skeptico]

Yes, but that isn’t what people like McClain mean when they say “teach ID”.

[Blue State]

I think you have to show students why a given theory is scientific or not, and not just tell them. Even if you're right. Creationism should not be taught, but any course on evolution should discuss how the theory was strongly challenged, and often mocked, by society. But the scientific method has meant that evolution gained in strength and is now widely accepted as the basis of biological sciences. Even mainstream religions such as Catholicism no longer has a quarrel with evolution.

It's a bad idea to insist creationism is wrong and evolution is right just because it is. Success in that line of argument will depend on being able to shout louder than the people who insist that secular liberals are persecuting people of faith because they hate Jesus and/or America.

"It's a bad idea to insist creationism is wrong and evolution is right just because it is."

But no one's saying that!!!!

Seriously, I've been reading loads of sources and commentaries, and NOWHERE has anyone insisted creationism is wrong and evolution is right just because it is; the overwhelming consensus has been that creationism is not science and should not be taught as such unless and until it can pass all the hurdles every scientific hypothesis must. The corollary of this is that evolution should be taught because is has passed precisely these hurdles...

Blue State, you're simply falling for the anti-science propaganda... or at least for anti-science prejudice. I used to make similar generalizations (you know, lumping 'scientists' in with 'them'). It was very easy, and there's lots to support that attitude: it was only when I actually started talking to and reading scientists that I realized that... well... they Don't Say or Think the things you read and hear.

[Skeptico]

Kids should be taught the scientific method, and the difference between science and not-science (including pseudoscience). If they know this, they should have no problem understanding why ID is not science. They should also be taught that all scientific theories are provisional and subject to change if better contradictory evidence becomes available. But this is not the same as “teach the controversy”, and it’s not the same as “teach both evolution and ID and let the kids make up their own minds”. Correct me if I am wrong but I don’t think anyone here is disagreeing with this.

[Mark Paris]

You might have already noticed that Red State Rabble has corrected the location of the school board candidate from Georgia to Pennsylvania.