What Would Happen if You Turned Your Child's Frustrating Distraction Into an Accidental Scientific Investigation?

I hear my neighbors out the window, biking home. The little girl is dillydalling. Her dad, already home, is audibly annnoyed. And then she screams:

I found a worm!

Dad sighs; his demeanor shifts: A WORM! Bring it here! Show it to me!

I hear her bring her bike, and worm, s.l.o.w.l.y. to her dad. Her patient dad.
I can still hear them through the window, discussing this worm. It's a boy and a girl, he tells her. I found himher near the grass, she reports. He asks her what she thinks himher likes to do?

He doesn't need to lecture his daughter, of training-wheels age, about hermaphroditic reproductive strategies. Or that her discovery is probably a member of the Amynthas genus, and that there are native and invasive earthworms. Or how himher burrows in the soil eating dead and decaying things; such a small thing making mechanical and chemical changes to the soil. Or even that Charles Darwin wrote: "It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures."

He just connected with her and fostered her connection with nature. Over a worm.

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/