Ever Vigilant

Another Post as to why we need to constantly be on guard.

      Gov. Bobby Jindal signed into law the “Science Education Act” in 2008

      ...And now, not shockingly, the LFF has already started to use it to chip away at evolution and sound science                   standards by claiming the state’s biology textbooks give too much credibility to Darwin’s theory.


We the people need to stay on guard at all times we need to keep this kind of nonsense in check. There will always be someone to take advantage of any opportunity to slip in some kind of nonsense. Once it is in, it is almost impossible to get back out.

Read the full article here.

Making of a Scientist

On our daily drive home form school my daughter usually has several questions about every conceivable topic, yesterday was no different. Being on a quest to blow her first bubble, and armed with a piece of Double Bubble bubble  gum, and knowing she has to chew out all of the sugar first, she asks me how much sugar is in gum, and how can you tell. 


My mind turns to Archimedes and the legend that he discovered displacement theory. Though to test our troubling gum question we would not be able to use displacement as a measuring tool, we could use a scale and measure the weight difference and get pretty close.


After returning home, chores, homework, and the table set for dinner. We began our experiment.

                     We would need;
            
                      a piece of un-chewed bubblegum
                      a scale
                      sugar
                      notepad




Step 1;  Weigh gum and record weight
Step 2;  Chew gum till no longer any sugar left in gum
Step 3;  Weigh gum and record weight
Step 4;  Check record difference in weight
Step 5;  Add sugar to scale until weighs as much as difference
Step 6;  Measure by volume how much sugar.
Step 7;  Record data
Step 8;  Publish and wait for nobel prize!


This was good fun and took only about fifteen minutes. Heres the data


The un-chewed gum weighed in at about 6 grams. 
After chewing the gum didn't even register a gram. Weight of gum after chewing less than a gram.
Total sugar in a piece of Double Bubble bubblegum approximately 6 grams of sugar or about a table spoon.


Doing an experiment with your daughter priceless!

Why We Need to Stay vigilant.

A couple of post a go I brought up the topic of why we need to be vocal and get our views on science and the world. A recent article in the The Crimson White, the student newspaper of the The University of Alabama, shows how deep the lack of scientific reason goes.


The two columns call for the teaching of biblical creationism along side evolution. They use the same tired arguments and reasons, it's popular, evolution has too many flaws and quote mining from real scientists trying to make it appear that there is a controversy or flaw in the science.




The first column Deals with "Why" the collage should be teaching creation;


...it should be presented as just that: a theory, and the same should be true of evolution.


This statement shows that column for what it is nothing more than a long argument from ignorance. The misuse of the word theory. "it's only a theory", "I have a theory" shows us he doesn't, as many people don't, understand how the word is used in science.


The word theory in science is used to mean, how a system works. If you crack open an manuel on a large peace of equipment, say a printing press or plastic mold injection machine you can find a section in the book called "theory of operation". Does this mean the people of who designed and built the equipment do not understand how it runs? No, it is a description on how it runs. This is what is meant by theory in evolution.


The line that sums up the level of discourse in the first column comes at the end


Ben Friedman is a sophomore majoring in social entrepreneurship.

Where the Evidence Leads; An Apology for Science and Reason

This month we have a visit form Eli of Chariots of Iron;

We Have some good fun and discuses the validity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ a popular figure in modern Christianity. Being more of a biblical scholar topic not heavy on the science I don't have as  much to offer, that doesn't stop me from talking any way. So go and down load it today and listen away!

WtEL