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Apologia Biology

Started by DeterminedJuliet, May 04, 2012, 02:16:21 PM

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Ali

Quote from: ThinkAnarchy on May 04, 2012, 07:02:52 PM
I had to stop reading. My scientific knowledge is not strong, so the last thing I need is to subconsciously remember some of what is in that pdf.



Hahahahahaha.  True story.  I was talking to my dad about Antartica, and I started rambling about how I had seen this really interesting show about how Antartica used to be a tropical paradise with people and everything.  He was staring at me like I had two heads.  Then I remembered that the "show" I saw that on was actually Alien vs Predator.  Turns out you don't want to take your scientific/archeologic knowledge from that movie.  Whodathunkit?

DeterminedJuliet

Quote from: Ali on May 04, 2012, 08:08:41 PM
Quote from: ThinkAnarchy on May 04, 2012, 07:02:52 PM
I had to stop reading. My scientific knowledge is not strong, so the last thing I need is to subconsciously remember some of what is in that pdf.



Hahahahahaha.  True story.  I was talking to my dad about Antartica, and I started rambling about how I had seen this really interesting show about how Antartica used to be a tropical paradise with people and everything.  He was staring at me like I had two heads.  Then I remembered that the "show" I saw that on was actually Alien vs Predator.  Turns out you don't want to take your scientific/archeologic knowledge from that movie.  Whodathunkit?

Haha, if it makes you feel any better, that's a common trope for Antarctic fiction. Actually, that's (partly) what my husband is doing his Ph.D on.
"We've thought of life by analogy with a journey, with pilgrimage which had a serious purpose at the end, and the THING was to get to that end; success, or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you're dead. But, we missed the point the whole way along; It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing, or dance, while the music was being played.

Ali

Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on May 04, 2012, 08:18:48 PM
Quote from: Ali on May 04, 2012, 08:08:41 PM
Quote from: ThinkAnarchy on May 04, 2012, 07:02:52 PM
I had to stop reading. My scientific knowledge is not strong, so the last thing I need is to subconsciously remember some of what is in that pdf.



Hahahahahaha.  True story.  I was talking to my dad about Antartica, and I started rambling about how I had seen this really interesting show about how Antartica used to be a tropical paradise with people and everything.  He was staring at me like I had two heads.  Then I remembered that the "show" I saw that on was actually Alien vs Predator.  Turns out you don't want to take your scientific/archeologic knowledge from that movie.  Whodathunkit?

Haha, if it makes you feel any better, that's a common trope for Antarctic fiction. Actually, that's (partly) what my husband is doing his Ph.D on.

Oh how interesting!  What is his PhD on?  Themes in literature or somethign?

DeterminedJuliet

I'm never sure that I have the exact wording right, I think it's "How 20th-Century American Sci-fi texts reflect American cultural identity." I know there's a lot of "Utopia" references (with tropical paradises and whatnot). That's about all I know, though.  :P We'll have to get him over here to explain any further.
"We've thought of life by analogy with a journey, with pilgrimage which had a serious purpose at the end, and the THING was to get to that end; success, or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you're dead. But, we missed the point the whole way along; It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing, or dance, while the music was being played.

Tank

Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on May 04, 2012, 08:32:14 PM
I'm never sure that I have the exact wording right, I think it's "How 20th-Century American Sci-fi texts reflect American cultural identity." I know there's a lot of "Utopia" references (with tropical paradises and whatnot). That's about all I know, though.  :P We'll have to get him over here to explain any further.
So how many times have you proof read the text of hubbies work? I read my wife's thesis 4 times in all.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

DeterminedJuliet

Quote from: Tank on May 04, 2012, 08:37:41 PM
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on May 04, 2012, 08:32:14 PM
I'm never sure that I have the exact wording right, I think it's "How 20th-Century American Sci-fi texts reflect American cultural identity." I know there's a lot of "Utopia" references (with tropical paradises and whatnot). That's about all I know, though.  :P We'll have to get him over here to explain any further.
So how many times have you proof read the text of hubbies work? I read my wife's thesis 4 times in all.

He just finished his coursework year, so he hasn't started writing his dissertation yet. He did have to come up with a pretty specific outline for his program/grant applications, so I guess it would have been more appropriate for me to say that it  *will* have utopia references. I've helped him with bits of his term papers, though! (erm, but there is a slight possibility that I never did get around to reading his MA thesis)
"We've thought of life by analogy with a journey, with pilgrimage which had a serious purpose at the end, and the THING was to get to that end; success, or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you're dead. But, we missed the point the whole way along; It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing, or dance, while the music was being played.

xSilverPhinx

I was able to get through two paragraphs. Where's my prize? ;D (I deserve a prize, don't I?) :-| 
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Squid

Sadly, I've actually read worse that was actually a "textbook" for highschool at a faith academy.  I think it's simply a complete and utter disservice to kids to feed them this crap regardless of one's religious alignment.  Once these kids leave high school and go into college it will be a huge barrier for them.  I remember taking a zoology class and one poor girl was having a very hard time with the population genetics portion which, of course, involved much reading in evolutionary biology.  I remember her sitting there telling me, "so everything I learned is wrong?!".  She was genuinely devastated.  She dropped the class after a a few weeks.  Poor girl was a biology major.  I wonder sometimes what happened to her.  I never saw her again.

I think it is crap like this that plays into the U.S. falling behind in science and mathematics.  It goes up a bit and the down a bit according to indicators but the overall trend has been down...drastically.  That's why I believe folks who were and are on the forefront of brining critical thinking and science literacy to the public are so very important.  It's often a thankless job but important nonetheless.  I personally cannot count the number of times I've lent out and recommended Carl Sagan's book "The Demon Haunted World".  And in every instance the person returned it or bought and read it and expressed how great they thought it was, how eye opening and interesting.  No one had ever taken scientific topics and presented it in a way that was easy to understand and engaging and most importantly, interesting. [/soapbox]

But yeah...that's pretty bad and a bit depressing to read.

Siz

Quote from: Squid on May 05, 2012, 01:15:08 AM
But yeah...that's pretty bad and a bit depressing to read.

I don't think any of you who are apalled by this has read much of it at all.

OK, a naive young person who is not capable of discerning what is propaganda and what is science will be soaking in both equally. But the fact that the author has been unable to interweave the two allows for a total separation - a simple rip-along-the-dotted-line. So the religious message, presumably endorsed by the parents and teachers, is in no way interfering with the facts of biology, except the cleanly seperable denial of the theory of abiogenesis. And this, oddly, is housed within the only religious section quite obviously, and fairly jarringly, pasted in the middle. I acknowledge that this 'scientific method' section is pretty abhorrent, but the biology of the piece into which it was inserted is sound. This a lazy piece of creationist text.

When one sleeps on the floor one need not worry about falling out of bed - Anton LaVey

The universe is a cold, uncaring void. The key to happiness isn't a search for meaning, it's to just keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense, and eventually you'll be dead!

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Scissorlegs on May 05, 2012, 07:36:08 AM
Quote from: Squid on May 05, 2012, 01:15:08 AM
But yeah...that's pretty bad and a bit depressing to read.

I don't think any of you who are apalled by this has read much of it at all.

OK, a naive young person who is not capable of discerning what is propaganda and what is science will be soaking in both equally. But the fact that the author has been unable to interweave the two allows for a total separation - a simple rip-along-the-dotted-line. So the religious message, presumably endorsed by the parents and teachers, is in no way interfering with the facts of biology, except the cleanly seperable denial of the theory of abiogenesis. And this, oddly, is housed within the only religious section quite obviously, and fairly jarringly, pasted in the middle. I acknowledge that this 'scientific method' section is pretty abhorrent, but the biology of the piece into which it was inserted is sound. This a lazy piece of creationist text.

I didn't read the whole thing (and don't intend to waste my time doing so), but the author left out that all living things evolve. If he's leaving out a known and well established larger context, then the rest of it can't really be as sound as a normal textbook, written by people who actually know what they're talking about.
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Siz

Quote from: xSilverPhinx on May 05, 2012, 04:14:16 PM
Quote from: Scissorlegs on May 05, 2012, 07:36:08 AM
Quote from: Squid on May 05, 2012, 01:15:08 AM
But yeah...that's pretty bad and a bit depressing to read.

I don't think any of you who are apalled by this has read much of it at all.

OK, a naive young person who is not capable of discerning what is propaganda and what is science will be soaking in both equally. But the fact that the author has been unable to interweave the two allows for a total separation - a simple rip-along-the-dotted-line. So the religious message, presumably endorsed by the parents and teachers, is in no way interfering with the facts of biology, except the cleanly seperable denial of the theory of abiogenesis. And this, oddly, is housed within the only religious section quite obviously, and fairly jarringly, pasted in the middle. I acknowledge that this 'scientific method' section is pretty abhorrent, but the biology of the piece into which it was inserted is sound. This a lazy piece of creationist text.

I didn't read the whole thing (and don't intend to waste my time doing so), but the author left out that all living things evolve. If he's leaving out a known and well established larger context, then the rest of it can't really be as sound as a normal textbook, written by people who actually know what they're talking about.

Actually, it does touch on Mutation, but says it'll be covered in more detail later in the course... so who knows what gems will be imparted then!?

...But I accept your point.


When one sleeps on the floor one need not worry about falling out of bed - Anton LaVey

The universe is a cold, uncaring void. The key to happiness isn't a search for meaning, it's to just keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense, and eventually you'll be dead!

Squid

It actually starts off okay but then degrades from there.  Once it gets into the more philosphy of science section it takes a downward turn ending up in a discussion of how abiogenesis equates to spontaneous generation (it doesn't btw).  However, it gets better as they move into classification and more into ecology.

...and then it gets to evolution, the "hypothesis, all life on earth descended from one (or a few) 'simple' life form (or forms) that lived on earth billions of years ago and was (were) formed through abiogenesis"

Who can tell me what is wrong with that definition?

And then it spirals into baraminology...which I've written about here before.

So aside from some "solid" biology tidbits, the whole of the module is marred by the "here's what scientists think but they're wrong and here's something better" approach.