My Tweets From the Bill Nye and Ken Ham Evolution Creation Debate

The following is my string of debate-tweets from this evening's debate between Bill Nye The Science Guy and The Creation Museum's co-founder Ken Ham.

And to all, a goodnight.

Why Bill Nye The Science Guy is NOT Wasting His Time Debating the Creation Museum's Co-founder Ken Ham

The heart of The Creation Museum's argument is "Human Reason: The Present is the Key to the Past" VS "God's Word: The Key is the Key to the Past, Present, and Future." For example, in the museum there is a looping video where a paleontologist at a dinosaur dig tells us he’s been studying fossils his whole life, and science requires interpretation of facts. He explains how he and his colleague agree on many facts regarding fossils, but that they see the world from different points of view. While he wonders what existed on Earth thousands of years ago, his colleague looks up from the dig to tell us that the dinosaur fossils at this site were formed about a hundred million years ago, because of a local flood. The narrating paleontologist looks into the camera, smiles and shakes his head. He sees the world through the lens of the Bible and comes to a different conclusion. Remember when creationists used to tell us that the Devil put those fossils there to test our faith? Yeah, me too.

What could be wrong with The Creation Museum simply showing guests both sides of a "God's World vs Human Reason" Debate? Everything when their "Debate" misleads the public into thinking that creation and evolution are of equal standing, which they aren't. This presentation infers that the scientific community is equally divided on the issue, which we aren't. And pitting the two against each other reflects a reality where this whole matter is far from being resolved scientifically, again, not the case. This museum, and Answers in Genesis, promotes "creation science" as science without using ANY scientific reasoning and is successful only in their efforts to undermine critical thinking. Their manipulative misrepresentation of fiction as fact is an appalling effort to lie to the public, and brainwash children, to further their own agenda. Their presentation is steeped in fear mongering and is malicious at best. But if you're goal is to mislead and persuade, it is also brilliant.

So why am I thrilled about Bill Nye The Science Guy's commitment to an intelligently designed conversation with Answers in Genesis Creation Museum's co-founder Ken Ham? Especially when Ken asks Why I'm debating the 'Science Guy' about creationism, he answers that "Most students are presented only with the evolutionary belief system in their schools, and they are censored from hearing challenges to it. Let our young people understand science correctly and hear both sides of the origins issue and then evaluate them"?

Simple. I agree with Bill Nye when he told NBC: "We're just trying to change the world here, and draw attention to these forces in our society that are trying to get creationism in science textbooks. My argument is, this is bad for the country, bad for our economy. We can't raise a generation of science students who are not scientifically literate."

And because creation and evolution are NOT of equal standing...
and because fear mongering and misrepresentation of facts have no place in education...
and because evolution is a "just a" theory, just like the theory of gravity...
and because science and religion aren't enemies...
and because I don't believe IN science, I believe THAT scientific inquiry results in data and facts...
and because a new Pew Research Center poll reviled 60% of Americans say “humans and other living things have evolved over time,” but ~30% reject the idea of evolution...
and because we have to challenge what Ken Ham is doing to people who don't fully understand what science is...
and because we owe non-scientists honest, clear, accessible explanations of science.

Earlier today I read the Sun Times article Bill Nye Wastes His Time Debating Creationists and I wholeheartedly disagreed. All day long I disagreed, talking to myself, until I formulated this blog: Bill Nye The Science Guy is NOT wasting his time debating the Creation Museum's Co-founder Ken Ham.

*Updated*
Watch the debate LIVE TONIGHT! (February 4, 2012) at 7-9:30 PM (ET) with a question/answer session beginning at 8:45 PM (ET) on www.billnye.com or on www.debatelive.org or debatelive.org/asl which includes ASL interpreters. Immediately following the debate, Bill and Ken will do an interview for Piers Morgan Live on CNN for a post-debate analysis, then MSNBC TV will interview Bill. If you can't watch it live, the recorded version will be available at debatelive.org until noon (ET), February 5, 2014; after that on the "Answers in Genesis" YouTube channel. Details at Answers in Genesis' press release and their FAQs. You can also buy a dvd and/or download of the debate. Make no mistake...I've already ordered mine!

Never going to the Creation Museum? Don't worry, we went so you don't have to!

Stop Censorship

Critical thought and scientific literacy are at risk. One of the many tools to combat this vulnerability is the publication of and freedom to access information. Without an open exchange of observations, opinions, and interpretations we fail each other and ourselves.

But how can the US House and Senate bills SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) compromise an open exchange of information?  While their stated goals are to end copyright infringements, they threaten to damage the free and open Internet you and I are using right now. Large media companies will be able call for the blocking of websites suspected of copyright infringement and the burden of proof will fall onto accused websites. With or without the resources, small websites will be required to police all user-contributed materials, not to mention defend themselves.

It's important to remember that the Internet, this free and open platform, is a global system of interconnected computers (and computer networks) that use a set of agreements on how computers will behave when connected. A free and open platform isn't a thing. To legislate and control an open exchange of information as a thing is dangerous, ineffective, and short-sighted at best.

SOPA and PIPA threaten the necessary development and practice of critical thought and consequently they threaten to weaken scientific literacy.

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

Find your senators and representative, it's that easy! I found mine:

Senator Dick Durbin
711 Hart Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-2152
http://durbin.senate.gov/public/ 

Senator Mark Kirk
524 Hart Senate Bldg.
Washington DC, 20510
202-224-2854
http://kirk.senate.gov/ 

Representative Daniel Lipinski
1717 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225–5701
http://lipinski.house.gov/

Catch a Falling Snowflake

And put it under observation!

It took you hours to shovel and brush the snow off your car. You're frustrated at the plows for blocking your driveway and at poor driving conditions. You've forgotten that graying piles of snow are mounds of tiny crystals.

I forget how frustrating snow can be when I stop to remember how beautiful it is.

No two snowflakes are the same! But all flake crystals have six sides due to the shape and bonding of water molecules. 

Up in the cold clouds ice crystals form on dust particles as water vapor condenses. Partially melted crystals cling together to form snowflakes.  

Figure Credit: Kenneth G. Libbrecht; Professor of Physics at Caltech

There are types of crystal shapes: plates, dendrites, needles, columns, columns with plates, and the beautiful dendrite plate stars.

Shape depends on the variations in temperature and humidly on a crystal's path to the ground. Every path, and therefore every snowflake is unique.

What kinds of snowflakes are landing in your backyard? Catch them to find out:

 You'll need falling snow, (chilled) black paper, and a magnifying glass (or not).

 

I put the black paper in the freezer for about a half-hour before heading outside, you don't want your snowflakes to land and melt. You might want to anchor the paper so it doesn't blow away. I still don't know where one of my sheets of paper landed.

 A cluster of snowflakes on a cold piece of paper. Maybe you don't even need paper:

 A snowflake on the chilled sleeve of my sweatshirt.

A snowflake lingering on my cold car.

  Perhaps you're up for more of a challenge?!

You'll still need falling snow, some liquid plastic spray (like Krylon Crystal Clear), and microscope slides (or piece of clear plastic/glass; be creative). 

Before catching snow, put the spray and slides in the freezer for about an hour, you don't want your materials melting the snowflakes. Spray the slides and let the snow flakes fall! The liquid plastic will form a shell preserving the snowflake's detail, resulting in a replica of your snowflakes.  .

 And if you have a USB-microscope you can photograph your snowflake on a slide.

 

Happy snowflake catching! 

When Pets Experiment: Adorable!

Meet Oscar and Felix! Fancy rats, domesticated brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), who we adopted from Heartland Small Animal Rescue in September. We've observed dozens of their experiments as they adjusted to their new home and while earning their trust. By far, their most adorable experiment involves the new bubble! 

I believe they are experimenting because they're adorably committed to methodically testing the nature of reality. Their goal, while they won't articulate it, is to verify the validity of their hypothesis: if they move forward, continuously, then they will be able to adventure around the apartment. They are, with out really knowing it, replicating their evolving hypothesizes. Above are Oscar and Felix testing their first hypothesis: if they lay very, still, then they will adventure. This hypothesis was falsified. Later they tried to adventure while each moved in an opposite direction (falsified) and then by rocking back and forth (also, falsified). 

Today, Oscar was the first to figure out how to rock the ball just enough to gain momentum. Adorable, butt waddling momentum...until he hit the wall. 

Sandhill Cranes Soar High Over Chicago

What do you mean it's December? It seems like just yesterday I was buying pencils for the new school year, and today I looked up into the sky to see the greater sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) migrating south from their northern breeding ranges to their wintering area in Florida.

As my friend Leah and I were walking into Foreman High School, on Chicago's northwest side, we heard the sounds of trumpets overhead. We saw about 150 sandhill cranes soaring higher than I've ever seen birds fly. Their height drew attention to their large size (4.5-5 feet tall and 10-14 pounds). Majestic.

My friend Jill reported that the cranes flew over Aurora, IL earlier in the week. As they fly to their stopover at Indiana's Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area through mid-December, you might hear trumpets high above you!

Photo used with permission; International Crane Foundation

Photo used with permission; International Crane Foundation

Photo used with permission; International Crane Foundation

Aldo Leopold's classic A Sand County Almanac which included the essay "Marshland Elegy" was published in 1948, decades ahead of its time. His sobering essay asks us if humanity's progress is progressive if it's short-sighted, wasteful, and results in the displacement of other species, like the cranes. In the 1930s, Aldo didn't hear many cranes soaring over Baraboo, WI despite the abundant wetlands. "For (the cranes), the song of the power shovel came near being an elegy. The high priests of progress knew nothing of cranes, and cared less. Some day, perhaps in the very process of our benefactions, perhaps in the fullness of geologic time, the last crane will trumpet his farewell and spiral skyward from the great marsh." Due to conservation and restoration efforts, the greater sandhill crane's numbers have made a remarkable recovery, but the biggest threats to the sandhill cranes are the loss and degradation of riverine and wetland ecosystems. Below is the ~13 minute trailer for the documentary Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for our Time that is, in a word: indispensable.

“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." ~Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac