standard evolution practice

[John Grehan]

>John is very off-base here.  Science is unique in that we train our
>students to QUESTION everything --- why do we think an observation is correct?
>Is the data reasonable?  Is there another explanation that fits all the
>facts?    I've taught both introductory biology (1000 students/class) and
>Genetics (300 students/class) here at Arizona for over 10 years and we
>strongly encourage students to learn how to think for themselves and to think
>critically.

My experience is that students are encourged to think "critically" along
certain lines of thought - i.e. its ok to question, but only to a certain
point. Be critical, but not too critical. If a student wants to take a very
different perspective to that of the instructor or supervisor watch out.
Its also a lot harder to get employment.

>
>Perhaps John's suppression of other views deal with topics such as
>Astrology and the like, where our "suppression" is simply to ask someone
>to show
>us independent studies/observations that are consistent with PREDICTIONS
>these theories make.

Too much of a presumption. I was referring to evolutionary research programs
that are suppressed in general accounts of evolution in textbooks, general
reviews, and courses the purport to give an overview of the subject.

 Sloppy thinking is not thinking for oneself, and
>great care must be taken not to confuse the two.  Alas, given the current
>level of scientific literacy, suppression is an easy and emotion-laden
>statement that covers up sins of the accuser.

My reference to suppression has nothing to so with any personal sins.

John Grehan