Clive Thomson wrote a thought provoking article in Wired magazine ("Why
science will trump only when theory becomes a law") about this topic:
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/15-11/st_thompson
Best regards,
Chris Winne
----- Original Message -----
From: "William Silvert" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2009 3:58 AM
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Isaac Asimov quote/was Gallup poll on evolution
I share the feeeling of Wendee and other respondents that "believe" is not
an appropriate word. The problem is that we haven't really come up wth
alternatives that reflect the inherent skepticism of science but that are
also meaningful to the general public. Evolution is a credible theory,
well-supported by evidence, etc., but none of these phrases have much bite.
After all, there is still a lot of common reference to "scientific proof",
and any attempts to revise our language to conform to the way that
scientists think (or should think) will simply weaken our case and be
jumped on by those who argue that the only thngs we really know are that
g*d exists, that everything in the bible/koran/etc. is absolutely true, and
that theirs is the only true faith. Knowledge is power, ain't it?
Bill Silvert
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wendee Holtcamp" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 6:17 PM
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Isaac Asimov quote/was Gallup poll on evolution
That is frightening. Wonder why they chose to use "believe in" for this
poll...
-----Original Message-----
From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of David Inouye
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 11:35 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Gallup poll on evolution
http://www.gallup.com/poll/114544/Darwin-Birthday-Believe-Evolution.aspx
PRINCETON, NJ -- On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Charles
Darwin's birth, a new Gallup Poll shows that only 39% of Americans
say they "believe in the theory of evolution," while a quarter say
they do not believe in the theory, and another 36% don't have an
opinion either way. These attitudes are strongly related to education
and, to an even greater degree, religiosity.
