Kentucky leading the way!

[kentonio]

Kentucky Evolution Fight: GOP Lawmakers Upset State Exams Test Students On 'Made Up' Theory

A group of Kentucky Republicans is up in arms over a state testing program that requires high school students preparing for college to have an understanding of biological evolution.

When the Republican state legislature voted in 2009 to link Kentucky's testing system to national education standards, it opened the door for biology exams that would test students' proficiency in the field of evolution. State Rep. Carl Rollins, a Democrat, told the Lexington Herald-Leader that this was standard practice, as ACT, the company that coordinates Kentucky's testing program, developed the material by surveying biology teachers across the country on which studies they believed should be included. They responded, rather unsurprisingly, that biological evolution was an important concept for incoming college students to grasp.

But state Republicans are now recoiling at their decision. They claim it doesn't give the theory of creationism a fair shake and places undue emphasis on the teaching of evolution, which they maintain exists only as a "theory."

"I would hope that creationism is presented as a theory in the classroom, in a science classroom, alongside evolution," state Sen. David Givens (R) said in an interview with the Herald-Leader. "We're simply saying to the ACT people we don't want what is a theory to be taught as a fact in such a way it may damage students' ability to do critical thinking."

Other Republicans voiced their concerns more colorfully.

"The theory of evolution is a theory, and essentially the theory of evolution is not science -- Darwin made it up," state Sen. Ben Waide (R) said. "My objection is they should ensure whatever scientific material is being put forth as a standard should at least stand up to scientific method. Under the most rudimentary, basic scientific examination, the theory of evolution has never stood up to scientific scrutiny."

State Sen. Mike Wilson (R) said he thinks the system could allow students to be "indoctrinated" by the study of evolution.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...p_ref=politics

I wouldn't usually post something just to have a dig at one state, but those bolded quotes were just too wonderful to pass up on.

I actually thought I'd accidentally clicked on The Onion at first. Please tell me people like this don't actually exist?

[Hauldren Collider]

It's Kentucky. All they have are horse races, banjos and bourbon.

State senators from rural areas are somewhere just above dog catcher in terms of politics, by the way.

[Guynemer]

And Justified.

[kentonio]

So is it really as backwoods as its reputation? I always assumed that was just over-exaggeration for comedy effect, but stories like this do make me wonder..

[Hauldren Collider]

Lexington's not so bad, I've heard neither is Louisville. Both are a bit boring but perfectly livable. I've been to Kentucky a few times. It's like any state with lots agriculture--there's an ass end and a civilized end.

[Lorizael]

I don't really care if evolution isn't taught in science classes; I just want students to be tought what the word theory actually means in a scientific context.

[rah]

"The theory of evolution is a theory, and essentially the theory of evolution is not science -- Darwin made it up," state Sen. Ben Waide (R) said. "My objection is they should ensure whatever scientific material is being put forth as a standard should at least stand up to scientific method. Under the most rudimentary, basic scientific examination, the theory of evolution has never stood up to scientific scrutiny."

Yes, creationism has stood up to much closer scientific scrutiny.
Who should we credit with making up creationism?

[Ben Kenobi]

I guess the question is, is evolution falsifiable?

[onodera]

Yes.

[Elok]

I actually thought I'd accidentally clicked on The Onion at first. Please tell me people like this don't actually exist?

Yes, it's true: conservative states have ****head politicians too. Why is this surprising?

[Ben Kenobi]

Ok, onadera - give me an example where the theory of evolution was wrong.

[Guynemer]

[regexcellent]

That's not what falsifiable means, dumbass.

On the other hand, intelligent design and creationism are not falsifiable. In the presence of an omnipotent being there is a satisfactory explanation for any evidential circumstance, thus it neither intelligent design nor creationism qualify as scientific theories. Just so we're being precise, that doesn't mean that either is wrong.

[loinburger]

Ok, onadera - give me an example where the theory of evolution was wrong.

"Falsifiable" means "can be falsified," not "has been falsified."

If you demonstrated that the Earth were considerably younger than five billion years old then you would falsify evolution.
If you demonstrated that all mutations were harmful then you would falsify evolution.

[MrFun]

BK, I will make a deal with you. I'll stop accepting evolution as scientifically supported by evidence, and will come around to believing in intelligent design when someone finds a humanoid fossil in the same geological-time layer as a dinosaur fossil? Deal?