We’re in trouble. Our country is falling behind in science and it’s time to take some immediate and drastic action before the U.S. becomes the global classroom equivalent of Home Economics.
Perhaps the problem is that we have been too narrow in our definition of what science actually is. For example, the creationists have been telling us for a long time that the well-thought-out and researched theories of evolution are no match for the mythologies of the Judeo-Christian traditions. Perhaps they are on to something. After all, they’ve written books and in so doing have helped us to see that books are no longer the domain of well-done, peer-reviewed, scholarly research. The creationists have also opened a Creation Museum thus showing us that museums are no longer a place where scholarly research can be disseminated to the common person.
And of course, the Creationists have long been trying to get mythology-as-science into our public schools.
But if mythology is the solution to our science woes, then why stop at Creationism? Maybe the time has come to open the floodgate for all mythologies into the science classroom.
I can envision a glorious new United States that excels in science because our students will be taught not just human anatomy, but the anatomies of Minotaurs, Leprechauns, and other species that were previously neglected simply because we couldn’t prove that they existed. Our students may not be able to find a cure for cancer in humans, but maybe they will be successful in treating Unicorns.
And our students would have a much more well-rounded education if, in addition to the traditional agricultural sciences, we taught them rain dances and fertility spells. Crop yields would be at an all-time high and we could feed not just our own country but the rest of the world.
The U.S. can be first in the world again. We can accomplish this not as we have in the recent past by attacking countries without provocation, but by allowing mythology in all of its rich and varied splendor to work its magic in our science classrooms.
Then, as the rest of the world flounders with its narrow-minded research in genetics and physics, as they waste their time exploring space, learning more about the universe and discovering new forms of energy, we can rest on top of the world with our dreams of Sugar Plum Fairies.
Comments (5)
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 9:50 AM
Bravo!
For your edification, just in case.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 10:17 AM
OoOOoOOOooo I think they should put Unicorns as a top priority!! I think a good start would be to mix the genes of narwhals and horses. Add in a little fairy dust, and voilà! Unicorn! Genius! Think of the cuteness!
I love the argument that students who learn "all" or "multiple" theories are getting a "well-rounded" education. Who gets to choose what myths they learn? Wouldn't other theories seem as ridiculous as Creationism?
There's no getting around the fact that people who tout Creationism have an extremely limited knowledge of the implementation of the scientific process, and therefore have no business interfering. I would guess that the teachers spooning that drivel to their students couldn't tell you the proper definition of "theory" and "fact" to save their lives. A theory is not a myth, and vice versa.
I could go on, but I'll just say I enjoyed your article :-)
Thursday, August 21, 2008 8:33 AM
You show me concrete proof of evolution, and I will totally renounce Creationism. As far as we know, both evolution and creationism are myths...and believing in either comes down to faith.
Thursday, August 21, 2008 12:46 PM
I have to disagree when you say evolution is a myth. Evolution is a theory and there is plenty of evidence to support it. For example, go to http://evolution.berkeley.edu/ and click on "What is the evidence for evolution?"
The creation stories in the Bible--there are actually two different and contradictory stories--are mythological. They were not written as scientific theories, but as literature--a more modern equivalent might be Rudyard Kipling's "Just So Stories" such as "How the Camel Got His Hump" (http://www.online-literature.com/kipling/167/). Do you read Kipling's stories and believe that they are factual accounts of creation? And if not, why? And if you do not believe those stories as fact, then why do you choose to believe the biblical creation stories?
There is nothing blasphemous about acknowledging the mythological nature of the biblical creation stores. They still point us to a profound spiritual truth which is that God loves us and cares for us and wants us to love and care for one another. I think we do a better job of loving and caring for one another when we teach our children good, solid science that will enable them to grow up and find cures for diseases, discover more efficient forms of energy and in general make life on this planet better for everyone.
If we're telling them that mythology is science then we are irresponsible and totally out of line with those very truths about God that the creation myths have preserved for us.
Thursday, August 21, 2008 1:53 PM
If you can check out Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology by Darrel Falk. It's a very balanced look at how creationism and darwinism can coexist in the modern era.