Please, astro community, look at this question?

Question

I apologize for not following the community standards here, but there is a question that disturbs me. So far, I see that I am the only one who has answered it and I'd appreciate if some of our more knowledgeable people answer it. It's only a few items down from this one. It's:
"Are the Van Allen belts dangerous?"
This is a student who has been told by his teacher to prove the moon landings were hoaxed.

This has me hopping mad. Tell me if you agree with my sentiment or if I just need to chill out.

Thank you for the feedback. Scientia and others, I considered that this might be an exercise in critical thinking or debate. Often one is asked to support a view they don't really believe. There is real value in this kind of exercise. But all to often I have seen the types that eri is talking about. I have 4 kids and I was a teacher for 27 years. There is this very popular notion among many teachers that truth is democratic and one person's opinion is just as valid as another's. Always!
Scientia, I do hope you and Steve and Kyeri are right.

Answer 1

I'm seeing that so far, nobody seems to be answering the question for you. While I would have to agree that it is odd that a teacher is asking a student to do this, being a teacher, I'd also have to guess that the student didn't give the full description. I couldn't find the original question, so can't be certain. Having students try to debate the supposed moon landing hoax would be in interesting way to get kids to properly research the surprisingly unfounded claims people have made against the moon landing. It would teach students how you have to have evidence to back up your claims, and that it must be valid scientifically proven evidence. However, if the teacher was just trying to have kids prove it was a hoax, and nothing more, than I would have to seriously question that teacher's ability to teach science properly. Now, about the question:

Van Allen belts are in fact dangerous, and spending an lengthy period of time in them could be quite hazardous. Any satellite that has to travel through them must be properly shielded first, which can be expensive, and isn't always a save-all against damage. The Hubble Space Telescope, for example, is just one satellite that often has it's sensors turned off when passing through areas with intense radiation.

But with regards to human travel, great expenses were spent to adequately shield the Apollo astronauts as they passed through. Thanks to some work by early satellites such as Sputnik and Pioneer, scientists were able to map out areas of trapped radiation. The Apollo program aimed to send its astronauts through thinner and less intense regions of the belts to help reduce the amount of radiation they were exposed to. The Apollo 14 crew probably suffered the most, but even their levels were cited within acceptable limits for the human body.

And it's not surprising that this is often cited as a reason for why we didn't go to the moon. It is often claimed that the Van Allen belts are deadly, so there is no way we could have survived going through them. Again, this would be true if they went through them in a poorly shielded spacecraft, went through areas of intense radiation, and did so a slow pace. Future missions are working on developing much more effective shielding that could withstand longer exposures to cosmic radiation.

Phil Plait is a great resource when it comes to disproving the claims that Moon Landing Conspiracy Theorists often try to put out. Read his book "Bad Astronomy" to find an excellent resource on multiple aspects of the moon landing hoax.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

ok KB

My first impression is that the teacher is trying to debunk one of the cries of the hoaxers. (Or is that my hope?)

By creating more knowledge of the true hazzards of the belts and the fact that spaceflight can and does co-exist with their presence, my assumption is that the teacher secretly is hoping that the students realize that the belts pose no significant threat to spaceflight and that the lunar landings were indeed real.

That's my initial thought. Be back later....

--

I couldn't reach a conclusion. I agree with the other answerers here. This is not a proper way to teach science or teach how to debate. The teachers approach should indeed be questioned. Perhaps the response from eri brings to light a more serious situation in schools today. Maybe it is time to address this concern to the proper authorities. I do not have such connections. If anyone else does, maybe they or we can get something done about this. I didn't realize that it was so widespread. It is unacceptable behavior from those we trust to teach proper and truthful information to our children.

ps- The original question was removed by the questioner.

I have serious doubts that we can rely on a student to challenge the methods of a teacher without repercussions.

Answer 3

I understand why you are upset. But this is making me think...

I notice the student said he was assigned to write a speech to "say" the moon landing was a hoax, not quite as strong as "prove" it was a hoax as you state it above. That gives me some hope that perhaps the teacher is just choosing a creative debate topic instead of believing it really was a hoax. (Fingers crossed.)

If that's the case then I think it might be interesting to try to invent even better-sounding arguments than the junk about shadows not being black enough, etc. that the hoaxers already have cooked up.

I'll see if I can think of anything. But I fear I may now get attacked for trying to give the enemy some more ammo. Please don't get riled up -- I don't think I'll think of anything new.

By the way, I should mention that when I was a 7th grader I got into an argument with our math teacher Mrs. Meyer. She said we couldn't communicate with our astronauts after they got outside the earth's atmosphere because radio waves wouldn't work in a vacuum. I really tried to convince her otherwise but she would not change her mind. I wonder who the other kids in the class believed.

Answer 4

Hopefully the parents at that school will get involved.

Or possibly (just to be fair since I'm a Libra ... JUST KIDDING!) the teacher is trying to impart some critical thinking skills into her students. By asking them to prove the moon landing is a hoax, they'll have to do research, can see the facts for what they are and form their own conclusions, and will be able to defend those conclusions because they've researched it themselves. Asking them to prove the moon landing really happened probably wouldn't inspire as much research as asking them to prove it didn't happen.

Anyway, I think you're right to be concerned, especially not knowing the teacher's motivations. We, the taxpayers, fund our public schools after all.

I'll go check out the question in question now.

Thanks for the heads up KB3.

Answer 5

I definitely agree. I have replied as well. I do planetarium shows at my university, and I have been astounded by the ignorance of some of the teachers that come in with their classes. Some have told their classes that there's no gravity on the Moon, that we never landed, that the Earth is 6,000 years old, and didn't know the difference between the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe. And these people are supposed to be teaching kids? It's scary.

Answer 6

that's a hard question. See the 1st source for specified help. A Dobsonian reflector may be the main inexpensive telescope and could do the pastime, even though it basically isn't automatic and could no longer discover, or maybe song, planets for you. yet once you could factor it manually and don't recommendations the planet drifting out of the sector of view each and every minute or so, a Dobsonian like those interior the 2d source will do. you're disillusioned with the perspectives of the smaller ones; maximum severe observers at present use a minimum of an 8 inch telescope.

Answer 7

Absolutely. A teacher requiring their students to prove that the moon landings were faked is outrageous. I respect teachers, but not ones that use their position to disseminate conspiracy theory propaganda.

Answer 8

I agree and you need to chill out!