Kansas State School Board At It Once Again

I just got a big fat error message and lost 30 minutes worth of post with serious words.

I for one would have preferred wings over brain power.

custard writes:Which do you find easier to believe:A- You were put here on the earth for a purpose, your life has meaning.
B- Your life is meaningless, and it doesn't matter if you, your family, or your entire species ever existed.What's going to be easier for the folks in Kansas to believe? People exist as part of a plan, or as the result of a random mutation that could have just as easily not have happened?

Separate science and theologyBy Christopher J. PapasianSpecial to The Star (Posted on Tue, Mar. 01, 2005)As a microbiologist, I am certain that evolution occurs. Genetic mutations clearly produce selective advantages or disadvantages for organisms that inherit these mutations, and these mutations radically alter the characteristics of microbial populations over short time periods.The data supporting microbial evolution is voluminous and compelling. Microbiologists study organisms with short generation times, so we can determine the evolutionary effects of genetic mutation on multiple generations in a matter of hours or days.
For example, the enzyme responsible for replicating HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is error-prone. Some errors allow HIV to evade the host's immune response, thus allowing these mutants to persist and reproduce while viruses lacking these mutations are eliminated by host defenses. Other mutations promote resistance to anti-viral drugs. In patients taking these drugs, resistant mutants rapidly become the predominant population because they continue to reproduce, while susceptible viruses lacking these mutations are suppressed or killed.Another example of microbial evolution involves the organism that causes tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutates frequently, and some of these mutations promote resistance to anti-TB medications. Patients with tuberculosis receiving only a single anti-TB drug often relapse clinically and transmit the infection to others because resistant mutants survive, reproduce, cause damage and are infectious. Organisms lacking these mutations are suppressed or killed, do not cause damage, and are not transmitted to others. Under these conditions, the resistant mutants have a tremendous selective advantage.So, evolution occurs. What is God's role in this? Did God design imperfect enzymes of genetic replication so that organisms would change over time through genetic mutation? Does God intervene each time an organism reproduces, orchestrating mutations that produce gradual change, allowing one species to evolve into another? Does God intervene periodically, creating an entire new species (e.g. Adam and Eve) to inhabit the planet Earth? Alternatively, are evolutionary changes attributable entirely to random genetic events?
God's role is of fundamental significance to a substantial portion of the human population and warrants significant debate. The concepts of evolution and intelligent design are not mutually exclusive. Evidence supporting evolution can be subjected to the rigors of scientific investigation, and presented in science classes. At this time, however, there is no mechanism by which the concept of intelligent design can be studied scientifically. Consequently, intelligent design should be discussed in theology, not science classes.Christopher J. Papasian is chairman of the Department of Basic Medical Science at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. He lives in Lenexa.

Subcommittee wants questions addressed in papers
1. Discuss your understanding of the definition of science, particularly with reference to the majority and minority definitions.2. Discuss your understanding of a hypothesis and theory, particularly with regard to evolution and how an individual hypothesis and theory is used and supported and what happens when competing hypotheses and theories are at odds.3. Discuss the idea that the best scientific inquiry is performed in the fashion of empirical science, that is, observable, measurable, testable, repeatable and falsifiable.4. Discuss the scientific evidence concerning the idea that natural selection and/or mutations produce speciation.5. Discuss the scientific evidence concerning the idea that there is a common biological ancestor.6. Discuss the scientific evidence concerning the idea of what can falsify the Theory of Biological Evolution, particularly how radiometric dating and the fossil record interacts with the idea of falsification.7. Discuss the idea that students (after moving from concrete thinking and being able to think in the abstract) should be able to explain, in scientific terms, the philosophy of science and various theories of science, as well as various scientific criticisms.8. U.S. education, particularly with regard to mathematics and science, has been criticized for being a mile wide and an inch deep and thus not promoting critical thinking and/or problem-solving skills. With regard to science education, is this a valid concern? Discuss the idea of how teachers need to or need not address this situation.

IMHO the questions are great but the response to each question would take a complete book.

School is one of those pesky things that the government feels necessary to make mandatory.

ned writes:How much time is allowed for preparting the submissions?

Abrams said the process was needed to gather more information before the board in June enacts science standards that will be used as the basis for statewide science testing in public schools.

ned writes:They may honestly be trying to inform themselves.

"Nothing's on trial, except maybe evolution," said Kathy Martin, one of the three board members -- all conservative -- who will hear the evidence.

How about the higher education level you have, the more votes you get? one for high school, two for bachelors, three for masters, etc....

Angeldust writes:School is one of those pesky things that the government feels necessary to make mandatory.