tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612563867390490775.post4996787138194103415..comments2024-03-01T06:30:22.313+00:00Comments on Jourdemayne: Theories: Splitting Linguistic Hairs and the Work of Anne Elk (Miss)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612563867390490775.post-63811000482884433792010-09-05T09:03:12.290+01:002010-09-05T09:03:12.290+01:00Science is the best defence we have against believ...Science is the best defence we have against believing what we want to. (I quote the mathematician Ian Stewart.) In his 2009 Lunar Society Annual Lecture Ian gave his audience the superficially shocking info that a very high % of people in the US don't 'believe' in evolution . . . before reminding that the figure should be zero. For evolution is not a belief system. Evolution no more 'true' that existence of my big toe in this moment is 'true'. <br /><br />Many see science as facts, discoveries, even The Truth (according to whatever value of 'true'). Science, however, is a way of thinking that is much more powerful. Whatever a scientist is saying now about their work is just the best story s/he has for the moment. (And great deal of meaning is carried on the word 'just'!) For scientists do that unconfortable and politically troubling thing of changing their minds in the face of evidence.Kate Cooperhttp://newoptimists.com/2010/08/11/why-evolution-isnt-true/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6612563867390490775.post-59038564603873331172010-08-28T19:39:15.232+01:002010-08-28T19:39:15.232+01:00The word theory comes from the Greek 'theoros&...The word theory comes from the Greek 'theoros' meaning spectator, which would fit with scientific observation and materialism.<br /><br />It was worrying that the science teacher in that school couldn't explain one pupil's question about why there are still apes if we evolved from them. Letting pupils make up their own minds is fine as long as all the options are equally weighted and the difference between evidence and faith are made clear. <br /><br />I haven't thought about Anne Elk (MIss) in a very long time. Thanks for that.TKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02054609141955914429noreply@blogger.com