Blog
-
Dr. Keller received her Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry from the University of New Mexico in 1992.
Buy My Books!
-
Forum Topics
Posts Tagged ‘Philosophy’
Louisiana, Science Textbooks, and Shame
In Louisiana this week a state advisory panel voted to approve biology and environmental science textbooks that were contested by certain groups of dissenters. Of course, this is a familiar rhubarb with a predictable narrative. Textbooks are written and submitted for approval to certain textbook approving boards. Word gets out that textbooks are being approved and certain groups oppose their approval. Then groups that oppose the opposing groups pop up to oppose the opposition. This cycle starts to oscillate, back and forth, until one side or the other claims victory. But it’s only a temporary victory. Pretty soon there will be a new set of books (or standards, or legislation, or opposing groups) to oppose and the whole narrative repeats.
Read the rest of this entryConnecting the Dots with Real Science-4-Kids
School is about to start, and parents are deciding which books to use as they write up their lesson plans for the year. As a result, we get lots of questions about Real Science-4-Kids. Many people ask about the sequence RS4K books follow or about the materials needed to teach the curriculum.We also get specific questions about how RS4K deals with evolution and creation. “Is RS4K a Creationist curriculum?” many will ask. “Does RS4K teach evolution?” or “Does RS4K say ‘God created’?” people inquire.
Read the rest of this entryWhat is science? Part 3
In the previous post I defined science as the “practice of science” and the “interpretation of science.” Let’s take a closer look at what this means.
Read the rest of this entryWhat is science? Part 1
The word “science” is a relatively modern term derived from the Latin word scire, which means “to know.” It is not found in written documents before the early 1400s, and the word “scientist” wasn’t used until William Whewell introduced the term in 1834.
Read the rest of this entrySynthetic Life?
Last week Dr. Craig Venter and his team announced the results of a landmark experiment to replicate a bacterial cell using a “synthetic” genome. I don’t know the details of the experiment, I am anxiously awaiting a copy of the article published in Science, but I do know that this effort is likely to open new doors for science and science education.
Read the rest of this entryDarwinists have an enemy and it’s not Creationism
There are many outspoken Darwinists who point the finger at Creationism, accusing it of corrupting science and science education. Understandably, the motives of those individuals who want to suppress modern scientific information because it doesn’t favor a Biblical interpretation are suspect. But is it really true that Creationism threatens to destroy science and science education? Is there really an “anti-evolution” movement brewing in our public schools, or is this clever rhetoric meant to scare the natives?
Read the rest of this entryCreationists have an enemy and it’s not Darwinism
The Creationist viewpoint is the underdog when it comes to modern competing views about science. Overall, Creationist interpretations are not accepted in mainstream scientific journals. Scientists who hold Creationist viewpoints can have difficulty getting or keeping academic jobs. And the Supreme Court has ruled that Creationism cannot be taught in public schools.
Read the rest of this entryWhat do we want from science education?
Science plays a huge role in our daily lives. Everywhere we look, science can be found. Science has given us our cell phones, our medical treatments, our washing machines, and even our food. Many people are excited about the new iPad, but a look under the hood will reveal that 40+ years of science and technological development are behind this new product. Steve Jobs and the creation of the iPad have the researchers at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), among many others, to thank. Modern life would not be what it is today without scientific research, because scientific research leads to technological advances.
Read the rest of this entry
Yeah!! Thank you I'll check it...