Letters.A whirlwind whirlwind, revolving mass of air resulting from local atmospheric instability, such as that caused by intense heating of the ground by the sun on a hot summer day. over Kansas Thank you for the report on the Kansas Board of Education censoring censoring in epidemiology, a loss of information from a study, whether by subjects dropping out of the study or because of infrequent measurement. evolution ("Kansas cuts evolution from curriculum," SN: 8/21/99, p. 117). In 1997, Illinois had a new set of educational standards ready to be used as the basis for its tests for comparing schools. The state superintendent of schools decided to appoint an External Review Committee, including the executive secretary of the Illinois Christian Coalition Christian Coalition, organization founded to advance the agenda of political and social conservatives, mostly comprised of evangelical Protestant Republicans, and to preserve what it deems traditional American values. and other creationists, to work it over. They butchered a lot of areas and in the sciences, removed every mention of evolution. Many of us protested, but nothing changed, and it still hasn't. So Kansas is 2 years behind the times in the creationist efforts. I feel as sorry for Kansas as for Illinois. Jack Bennett Jack Bennett (born May 30,1980) is a British actor. He trained on scholarship at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, graduating in 2001. He has mainly worked in theatre, including productions for The Royal National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and the DeKalb, Ill. I was disappointed to sec SCIENCE NEWS take the usual biased approach to the Kansas Board of Education's recent vote on testing requirements, especially the repetition of such comments as Kevin Padian's reference to evolution as "the central organizing theory of biology." Almost all biological studies can be carried out without reference to evolution, and its central place is due in large part to authoritarian fiat, not practical or intellectual necessity. Many articles in SCIENCE NEWS related to biology have no reference to evolutionary factors, and rightly so. David Bump Flushing, Mich. That the Kansas Board of Education was able to chalk up a victory for the antievolution forces is not really surprising. The general public is, at best, only vaguely aware of all that evolution entails. They might be cognizant of prehistoric wonders like the dinosaurs, but that evolution is a continuing process that explains a great deal in our current natural and manufactured world is downplayed in the press. Evolutionary events are not described in evolutionary terms, and SCIENCE NEWS is just as guilty as other media outlets. It seems that the concept of evolution and the sundry sun·dry adj. Various; miscellaneous: a purse containing keys, wallet, and sundry items. [Middle English sundri, from Old English syndrig, separate. conjugated conjugated adj. Conjugate. estrogens, conjugated Warning - Hazardous drug! C.E.S. forms of the verb "to evolve" are used only when some new fossil is announced or the evolution controversy itself is being discussed. J. Richard Shenkel Covington, La. One of the many issues with the Kansas decision is the confusion of faith with science. Faith and religious beliefs are, by definition, dogmatic dog·mat·ic adj. 1. Relating to, characteristic of, or resulting from dogma. 2. Characterized by an authoritative, arrogant assertion of unproved or unprovable principles. See Synonyms at dictatorial. and not subject to scientific challenge. Scientific theories, on the other hand, are only valid until someone finds an example that refutes them. Creationism creationism or creation science, belief in the biblical account of the creation of the world as described in Genesis, a characteristic especially of fundamentalist Protestantism (see fundamentalism). is not a scientific theory. What is even more disturbing about the Kansas decision is that it is part of a trend that is orchestrated or·ches·trate tr.v. or·ches·trat·ed, or·ches·trat·ing, or·ches·trates 1. To compose or arrange (music) for performance by an orchestra. 2. by a well organized, purposeful movement. Alfred Kausel Clearwater, Fla. Send communications to: Editor, SCIENCE NEWS 1719 N Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 or scinews@sciserv.org All letters subject to editing |
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