The children of Louisiana may now be deprived of a sound scientific education. The creationists are at it again. When ID was struck down in Dover, they shifted their focus to “academic freedom” and “teaching the controversy.” That is, they take their own personal disagreement with certain sound science, such as evolution and human origins, and try to force it down students throats as if there is a scientific controversy. However, the scientific community at large does not have a problem with Darwinian evolution, although the details and mechanisms are still highly debated. Louisiana is the first state to successfully pass this garbage in their State House, SB 733 with a vote of 94-3. It is expected to pass in the State Senate next. This will allow “supplementary materials” or most likely, non-scientific propaganda, into the science classroom. Impressionable students may have their critical thinking skills subverted by nonsense, and wishful thinking will be substituted in for scientific fact. It’s despicable.
Note, they aren’t focusing on physics or chemistry or astronomy or plant classifications… but only those aspects of science that oppose fundamentalist Christian theology have supplementary materials necessary. Maybe it’s time for the Pastafarians (thanks Seth!) to step in and demand that the theory of beer volcanoes be included as supplementary material in geology lessons?
Beware, says Carl (thanks to PZ Myers for the reminder):
Nicole
Tim
PASTAFARIANS, not Rastfarians!
Haha, thanks! I shouldn’t try to write when I’m tired.
Although we can all use a little reggae in our lives…