I’m watching a cool program right now on relativity and related things. One of the commentators, a well known physicist, said “we have telescopes because light travels at different speeds through different materials.”
Um, no. Sir, we have telescopes because we want to see things at a distance.
We CAN have telescopes because light travels at different speeds through different materials.
This is a common problem with people in the sciences who do not realize that not everyone will give them “slack” in their speaking. Yes, we should be given that courtesy, but we’re often not given it. I’m not talking about typos, but in not saying what you actually mean.
The most glaring case in biology, and I’d argue in science, is the case with Charles Darwin’s little theory.
First, as biologists generally know but often forget to mention, is that Charles Darwin did not come up with the idea of evolution. He didn’t come up with the organisms change among generations. He had a theory about HOW organisms change among generations – the Theory of Natural Selection. That is not the Theory of Evolution.
There is, actually, no Theory of Evolution. Evolution is a fact. It happens, has happened and will happen. The “theory” bit, the part where all the research and debate happens, is about the mechanism by which evolution happens and what drives it.
Communication, and laxity of speech is much of the problem, not all by any means, of the public debate about science, in particular about evolution and probably climate change as well.
So, Scientists, please be as precise as you (we) can.
Filed under: biology
Tweets for Yesterday
- 12:00 bit.ly/blPG8j #
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- 12:01 bit.ly/9w2f0M #
- 08:45 Successful with dinosaur hunt at library yesterday. Will be heading back today after some time removing tape from a specimen case. #
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Tweets for Yesterday
- 09:47 RT @LabSpaces: Ancient birds from North America colonized the South – is.gd/dqwnV (similar pattern to mammals found post land-bridge) #
- 09:52 RT @wiredscience: Death Star off the hook for mass extinctions: bit.ly/cDnDAY (yes, we have no Nemesis) #
- 09:55 RT @sciam: Puget Sound Chemistry Transformed by Climate Change and Runoff bit.ly/cd7KdK #
- 09:58 RT @KQEDScience: Respected string theorist & prof of physics contends that gravity is an illusion causes ruckus ow.ly/2aMR2] #
- 10:00 See, like I’ve always said. Evolution is a fact. Gravity is a theory. ow.ly/2aMR2 link via @KQEDScience #
- 10:07 Off to library to work on dinosaurs. #
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Filed under: biology
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- 12:03 bit.ly/cbjUXQ #
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- 12:04 bit.ly/a2TmlR #
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Tweets for Yesterday
- 09:44 RT @AudubonZoo: Teachers, let #oilspill motivate #wetlands education! bit.ly/wet623 #
- 10:13 RT @maddow NY Times homepage right now — giant Shell Oil "a new energy future is dawning!" ad, over headline: "Oil Gushes Unchecked" #
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Filed under: biology
Tweets for Yesterday
- 12:03 bit.ly/9cqSkR #
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Tweets for Yesterday
- 22:36 So. The surface of the moon could only hold 187 current sized BP oil spills, on day 60. When they (hopefully) cap it about day 180? About 62 #
- 22:38 California, now, could hold 2 BP spills. At 180 days? The spill will hold 3 Californias. #
- 22:42 Correction to that last – at 180 days it will only hold 1 1/2 Californias. I’ll claim I used a #BP calculator. #
- 22:43 So yes, that’s correct. In mid August the #BP spill will be the 1 1/2 TIMES the size of the U.S. State of California. #
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Tweets for Yesterday
- 21:24 Hey, #DogRescue orgs – idea for community events: put small "costumes" on your dogs and have a Petting Zoo! (zebra doggie jacket, etc.) #
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BiologyBase 