Science and Archaeopteryx Win over Creationism in South Korea

[Viva_La_Revolution]

South Korea’s government has urged textbook publishers to ignore calls to remove two examples of evolution from high-school textbooks.

The move follows a campaign earlier this year by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR), which argued that details about the evolution of the horse and of the avian ancestor Archaeopteryx should be removed from the books (see ‘South Korea surrenders to creationist demands’).

The STR, an offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research, says that students should learn “various” theories about the development of life on Earth. It argued that the textbooks used flawed examples of evolution that are under debate by evolutionary scientists.

In May, news emerged that publishers were planning to drop the offending sections, sparking outrage among some scientists. The resulting furore led the government to set up an 11-member panel, led by the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) and including five experts on evolution and fossils, to oversee science-textbook revisions.

more
http://www.nature.com/news/science-wins-over-creationism-in-south-korea-1.11377

[Jim__]

1. I'd be curious to see the textbooks' explanation of the evolution of the horse.

The panel accepted that the textbooks' explanation of the evolution of the horse was too simplistic and should be revised or replaced with a different example, such as the evolution of whales. The government has backed the panel’s conclusions, and textbook publishers will be asked to report on how they have implemented these revisions before the new books are rolled out to schools in 2013.

I thought that was fairly well established.

[lastlib]

4. I don't know about the horse, but following the evolution of the horse's ass....

...led me to the knuckle-dragging fundamentalist preacher.

[Curmudgeoness]

2. Gotta love Archaeopteryx!

I have a plaster replica of him/her hanging on my wall, and it blows me away every time I look at it. I am glad to hear that the government of S Korea is asking textbook publishers to ignore the creationist demands. These are the kind of awesome examples that made science so fascinating for me.

[Odin2005]

5. The thing that blows my mind...

is that Archie had the same hyper-extendible slashing toe found on dromaeosaurs ("raptors&quot , and it is increasingly thought that dromaeosars and oviraptors are secondarily flightless descendants of Archeopterygids.

"No transitional forms" my ass. I think we have enough feathered dino fossils to put THAT bullshit to rest.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. Apparently there is not enough evidence for some people.

Ever since reading Origin of Species, I have been baffled by the people who are so close-minded. Even if they believe in a god that created the earth, I don't understand how they cannot see all the pieces that fit so well together....couldn't their god have started the process? And that could allow both beliefs without destroying the other.

Of course, these same people accept the concept of "superbug" bacteria without realizing what they are accepting evolution.

[dregstudios]

3. Taking a Giant Leap Backwards

Here in TN, they have taken steps though new legislation to allow creationism back into the classroom. This law turns the clock back nearly 100 years here in the seemingly unprogressive South and is simply embarrassing. There is no argument against the Theory of Evolution other than that of religious doctrine. The Monkey Law only opens the door for fanatic Christianity to creep its way back into our classrooms. You can see my visual response as a Tennessean to this absurd law on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2012/04/pulpit-in-classroom-biblical-agenda-in.html with some evolutionary art and a little bit of simple logic.