Texas: From saved to doomed in just 6 hours!

[n2doc]

Well, that was fast.

Texas Board of Education creationist Barbara Cargill today proposed an amendment to the science standards saying that teachers have to tell their students there are different estimates for the age of the Universe. This is not even a veiled attempt to attack the Big Bang model of the Universe, which clearly, and through multiple lines of evidence, indicates the Universe is 13.7 +/- 0.12 billion years old.

So Ms. Cargill is right, if she means that "different estimates" range from 13.58 to 13.82 (given one standard deviation) billion years old.

But she doesn’t mean that at all, does she? If you read her website, you’ll see she’s an out-and-out creationist. She has a large number of, um, factual errors on her site that are clearly right out of the Creationist Obscurational Handbook.

Anyway, her antiscience amendment passed 11 - 3.

So tomorrow that will go to the final vote on whether it will be added to the standards or not. With such a majority voting to pass it along, it looks like it will pass, and Texas students will get their chance to learn that the Universe is 6000 years old, and when they try to get a job or do anything later in life, they will be routinely laughed at.

That’s great, Texas! Keep on keepin’ on.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/03/26/texas-from-saved-to-doomed-in-just-6-hours/

[ixion]

1. and TX takes another step backwards towards the Dark Ages

way to go! :eyes:

[derby378]

2. Just when I thought we were finally done with this shit...

[cosmik debris]

3. Here is the Austin paper's take on that

Thursday votes a prelude to today’s SBOE meeting on science
By Laura Heinauer | Friday, March 27, 2009, 07:31 AM

Heading into today’s vote on Texas science curriculum standards, seven of the 15 State Board of Education members are strongly in favor of requiring that the weaknesses of scientific theories — specifically theories concerning the origin of species and the universe — be discussed in class.

Eight members are opposed to teaching the “weaknesses” of scientific theories. Several members of this voting block, however, have voted in favor of other amendments that some say could undermine the teaching of evolution.
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/education/entries/2009/03/27/thursday_votes_a_prelude_to_to.html

[DBoon]

4. Will Texas oil companies hire young earth geologists?

Or will they be hiring geologists who can actually find oil?

[grillo7]

9. LOL

:rofl:

[callous taoboy]

5. I teach third grade science in TX:

I have been following this closely and have donated at least 200 bucks to the Texas Freedom Network, a group dedicated to keeping science sound in this state. With that said, I really don't know what to make of the final "compromise." To me it sounds as though the I.D. folks have been kept at bay. The language sounds like science classes will only focus on ideas that have met the rigors of empirical science. It sounds like any textbook that would include I.D. theory would be in violation of the new standards. The "strengths and weaknesses of theories" language sounds like it will be the science teacher's duty to point out that evolution is the soundest theory we have on the origins and variation of life since it continues to hew to the strict standards of science, while I.D. will be recognized as pseudo-science.

Of course, I don't trust the religious zealots on our SBOE, and I suspect that there is something I may be missing here. Can anyone on this board clarify the ramifications of the new standards in science?

[Realityhack]

6. On issue is...

that if teachers are permitted or required to discuss the "strengths and weaknesses of theories" individual teachers can interpret that to allow the teaching of all kinds of nut job creationist BS.

It is the wedge proposal at work.

[Massacure]

7. Fine. Let the teachers teach 13.7, 13.82, and 13.68 billion years as the 'different' estimates.

10,000 years doesn't have to be one of them. :evilgrin:

[callous taoboy]

8. It may not be nearly as bad as I had, also, thought it was:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-evolution_28tex.ART.State.Edition1.4a87415.html