Minnesota Science Standards

Minnesota is about to adopt its Academic Standards for Science.

This is in there:

"Explain how scientific and technological innovations can challenge portions of, or entire accepted theories and models including, but not limited to: cell theory, atomic theory, theory of evolution, plate tectonic theory, germ theory of disease, and the big bang theory." (Page 27; Minnesota Academic Standards, Science K-12 2009)

Sounds good, right? New evidence should be considered in the scientific method.

Except what this statement can mean when interpreted in the real world of the science classroom is Intelligent Design/Creationism.

This benchmark is under the Standard "Understand that Science is a way of knowing about the natural world and is characterized by empirical criteria, logical argument and skeptical review."

It's unnecessary, given that other benchmarks explain the scientific method and "that scientists conduct investigations for a variety of reasons, including: to discover new aspects of the natural world, to explain observed phenomena, to test the conclusions of prior investigations, or to test the predictions of current theories."

Niggling, wheedling little semantic additions like these, acting like it's all about the scientific method, we only want to teach our kids all the facts, and we're are just trying to make sure that all angles are considered are disingenuous at best. What they are doing is allowing the obfuscation of the facts to continue, and it's not doing our kids or our nation any favors.

Next on my reading list: this short paper about evolution and creationism in America's classrooms, just for the garment-rendering, hair-raising fun of it.

*sigh* Tiger Woods

Just, something that Mr. Limbaugh said, or read, about Tiger Woods "letting down the black community." This is the sort of thing that no one would ever say about a white guy. Governor Mark Sanford was not criticized for letting down the white community. First of all, because there is no such thing, and secondly, because white people are not expected to represent their race, but all not-white people are.

Has he also let down the Chinese, Native American, Thai, and Dutch communities? After all, he's got those ancestries as well. Has he let down professional golfers or golfers everywhere? The PGA probably could have the biggest bone to pick, out of all parties aside from his wife, who... well, I'll leave the bone metaphor alone.

Maybe Tiger Woods has let down his fans and his sponsors, but he has especially let down his family. He has not let me down. I am neither a golfer, a fan of golfers, Chinese, Native American, Thai, Dutch, African American, nor a corporation with a vested financial interest in his success.

Has Mr. Limbaugh let the fat community down? The fat, white community? The ignoramus community? The white, male community? The male community? The white community? The conservative community? The human community?

I would argue that he lets at least a couple of them down every time he opens his mouth. He certainly does one of them proud.