As an environmental science teacher, how would you respond to someone who tells you (a) that he or she does no

Question

how would you respond to someone who tells you (a) that he or she does not believe in biological evolution because it is "just a theory"? How would you respond if another student states, (b) we should not worry about air pollution because through natural selection, the human species will develop lungs that can detoxify pollutants? In your responses, be sure to provide factual evidence from earth's history

Answer 1

Regarding the evolution heretic you could demonstrate how the first self-replicating, double helical strand of DNA came into existence without any help from a creator and without any plan or design or intent -- maybe whip up a batch in the lab. Then you could prove that living cells containing the DNA formed all by themselves. Then you could show how living cells decided to gather into larger organisms without any help or plan or design or intent.

You could explain, for example, how the cells that formed the human skull knew to provide two eye sockets rather than just one or three. You could explain how other cells knew to become optical nerves and how the brain knew to be compatible with the signals from those nerves. You could explain how all these apparently coordinated things occurred without any intelligence to coordinate them.

Good luck with that. If you succeed you will replace Albert Einstein as the most famous scientist that ever lived.

Answer 2

b. is easy. Evolutionary adaptation doesn't always move as quickly as environmental changes. Otherwise the dinosaur would still be alive and well. In point of fact, many of the now extinct species which died solely due to the influence of man failed to adapt quick enough to ensure survival.

As for biological evolution being a theory, that's a sticky subject. However, you can point out that evolutionary adaptation in animals is something that has been observed, most notably on the galapagos islands and that the evolution of animals does not have to corellate to the evolution of humans. The two are not mutually dependent for learning purposes.

Answer 3

First of all, I have to smile because it sounds like your students are smarter than you are. That's something you should be happy about.

a. You have a course to teach, your students don't have to believe every theory in the textbook, but they do have to study them if they want to pass the class.

b. If biological evolution isn't just a theory, it's going to take thousands or more years for your students' descendants to develop pollution-proof lungs.

I think you're trying too hard to indoctrinate your students into what you perceive to be "correct" opinions. You should encourage them to continue to think for themselves and develop their own well-reasoned views.

Answer 4

In response to A)

1) Gravity is just a theory. Care to jump out a 10-story building?
2) Recent excitement in the world of science over the "discovery" that female chimps are using WEAPONS to hunt and bring down prey. I heard the interview on NPR, you may be able to do a Search on their website. This is quite astonishing news, as we have always seen this particular behavior as specifically, uniquely "human."

In response to B)

1) That is just stupid.
2) Did the buffalo, through "natural selection", develop wings or high-speed legs so that they could run away from the railroad barons which pursued their extinction by way of getting rid of the American Indian?

I've heard this "Darwin tact" before, and it is so lame. It attempts to bastardize the true meaning of natural selection as a lazy way out of personal responsibility.

Pollution is bad. On every front. We are responsible for it. It is the supreme hubris to cavalierly toss off a comment read from a rightwing "thinktank" foundation as a way out of fixing the problem.

Answer 5

a: Explaing how theorys are developed and that the theory of evolution has not been disproved scientificaly since it's inception.

People who say something is wrong "because it is a theory" don't know exactly what a scentific theory is.

b: Tell him/her that natural selection takes generations to make even minor changes and that with the continued out pouring of polluntants into the air, we will not have time to evolve.

Answer 6

A lot of things we use commonly (airplanes, bridges and so on are built based on theories... why don´t you question them ??? so you step into the aircraft and are just a blind follower ?


Ok some people might developp pollution resistant lungs... but is it going to be you ? ready to take the risk ?

Also some dozens of people on earth infected with HIV never developped illness... want to risk to get aids anyway and see if you´re from the 0.00000001% lucky ones ?

Answer 7

1) Biological evolution is no longer just a theory.

2) We are poluting our air faster than ANY biology can adapt to, much less human lungs.

Answer 8

You are not a very good science teacher if you can't argue those points on your own.

Answer 9

I see no need for you to respond. These kids are expressing their opinions, or trying to push your buttons. There is no proof for either issue.