jason

Jeremy emailed me this article, and I found where it was available online. I find it interesting for a couple of reasons which I’ll share first, just to mess things up. The first notion is that average people really can’t ever do science, so let’s just teach them enough to be able to vote for science and think good things about it. I was thinking this week about people who are employed in science fields and I wondered if they were really scientists, or if they’re just people running technical machines. Are science administrators? I’m a science educator, but am I a scientist? Perhaps I am, but not due to the teaching I do. So, I wonder if people who call themselves scientists really are. Sure they understand why having a 4 million solar mass black hole in the centre of the galaxy is cooool, and pictures are even coolerer, but that’s not being a scientist, merely a fan or geek. To me, a scientist is someone who creates new knowledge and furthers our understanding of the world and ourselves. It can be new to everyone or new to you, as we already acknowledge that many scientific discoveries were actually re-discoveries. To keep it short, I would suggest that scientists are people who are doing science in terms of discovery and (co)constructing new knowledge. People who learn about science or are part of the science economy and run the apparatus of science are not scientists, though they are probably wonderful, dedicated and creative people… and may even be scientists in their spare time. Accordingly, I think that we should be educating people to be scientists regardless of what they do in life, not merely teach them to be studied fans of scientific progress.
Science Education for Everyone: Why and What?

When we take as our goal the production of students who are comfortable handling science-related issues that arise in public debate, two propositions follow immediately, both of which are profoundly out of tune with the current academic consensus: (1) the students need to know something about all areas of science, rather than a lot about a single area; and (2) the students do not need to be able to “do” science.

Metal Snow Girl, originally uploaded by complicitytheory.

Note the ribbon in her hair. And us in the mirror. And yes, it is a rare-earth magnet in the middle holding it all together.

Dear quaint and sedate Dr. Elizabeth Miller has written a prayer, bless her atheist’s soul, for Gov’nor Palin on her blog that should not be missed. What

Dad and Autistic Son Rescued at Sea “- A father and his autistic son survived a night in the waters eight miles off the coast of Volusia County after treading water for more than 12 hours…. Walter Marino said he floated and waited for help for 13 hours, and his son, who has autism, treaded water even longer at 15 hours.”

I’m confused, which is why I’m posting. Perhaps someone will enlighten me. There’s a law about the separation of church and state in the US, right? How can someone run for office with the policy of the linking of church and state? What is the role of apocalyptic visions in running a country, and what is the role of ‘god’s will’ in decision making? I know that everyone in the US talks about faith and politics, since one informs the other, but what will happen when one leads it? Sounds like theocracy to me.

I’m scared.

CECE - College of Early Childhood Educators web site is up. [and there was much rejoicing]

Jeremy sent this… and it is wonderful!

Bloofer Lady for President!

Slashdot | Google Updates Chrome’s Terms of Service ‘You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.’ As I mentioned previously Google’s TOS said something to the effect of “All your base are belong to us” I guess catsy fixed it up.