Lab Out Loud » evolution

Episode 73 – NCSE Now Defending Climate Change Education

Brian — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:30:29 +0000

Dr. Eugenie Scott

As science educators are increasingly reporting attacks on climate change education, the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is announcing that they will also be defending climate change science in public school science education. Join us as Dr. Eugenie Scott explains this new initiative for NCSE by adding climate change to their portfolio in defending good science education.

Links:

To listen to this episode, download the mp3 directly, find us on iTunes, or use the player below.

Without unions, who will stand up for science?

Dale — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:08:34 +0000

The state of education in Wisconsin in turmoil at the moment due to a bill introduced by our governor that will reduce teachers’ benefits and essentially break up our unions.

The latter concerns us the most and it was the topic of discussion at the start of our most recent episode. In Episode 59 – The Courage to Teach, we speculated that without a teachers’ union, it would be more difficult and riskier for teachers to stand up for science.

For example, suppose an environmental science teacher was teaching global climate change and a principal objected. Without the due process that teachers’ unions ensure, we suggested that a teacher might retreat from the attacks from their employer since they now know that they can be terminated more easily.

The scenario above was only hypothetical but we can look to the past for real-life examples.

Dover Area High School

In 2004 the school board in Dover, Pennsylvania announced that their science teachers would be required to read a statement to students that discredited evolution and showcased intelligent design as a valid scientific theory.

Eight Dover science teachers stood together and sent a memo to their school superintendent that outlined their objection to the policy and explained that they would not read the board’s statement to their students.

The decisions in Dover, Pennsylvania quickly erupted onto the national scene when a lawsuit was filed against the school district in Federal District Court by eleven parents of students at the Dover high school. The suit resulted in a landmark case on the teaching of evolution known today as Kitzmiller v. Dover School District.

I explained our worries about what may happen in Wisconsin to Jennifer Miller, one of the science teachers who stood up to the Dover school board, and asked her if their teachers’ union provided any assistance when they took a stand six years ago.

Below is her response:

I would say that you have VERY valid concerns!!! Our union helped us tremendously!!! When we went to trial, our superintendent tried to tell us that the school board’s lawyer (the Thomas More Law Center) represented us because we were part of the school district. We demanded our own lawyer and our union provided one for us. This was invaluable because none of us had ever been to trial before including subpoenas and depositions. Our union lawyer met with us many, many times to go over things and let us know what to say and what not to say and to guide us in the whole process, including being our support the day we testified. I think I would have stood up anyway without the lawyer and the union, but it would have been much, much more difficult. Our union representatives went with us to the many meetings we had with the school board. We always felt protected!!

We are watching the Wisconsin situation very closely and know that you have our complete support!!!

We saw in Dover that government can get it wrong. Sometimes workers need to stand up against injustices perpetrated by government. However, without a union to stand beside you, this is much harder to do. Would you risk your career and your livelihood for what you believe is right? Maybe. But it’s the maybe that worries me most.

Episode 59 – The Courage to Teach

Brian — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:30:52 +0000

Dr. Eric Plutzer

This week we discuss evolution education with Dr. Eric Plutzer, co-author of “Defeating Creationism in the Courtroom, But Not in the Classroom” – a recently published article in Science Magazine. Dr. Plutzer discusses the paper, and what the results reveal about how much evolution is actually being taught in biology classrooms across the nation.

The Cautious 60:

The cautious 60% may play a far more important role in hindering scientific literacy in the United States than the smaller number of explicit creationists. The strategies of emphasizing microevolution, justifying the curriculum on the basis of state-wide tests, or “teaching the controversy” all undermine the legitimacy of findings that are well established by the combination of peer review and replication. These teachers fail to explain the nature of scientific inquiry, undermine the authority of established experts, and legitimize creationist arguments, even if unintentionally (Berkman and Plutzer, “Defeating Creationism in the Courtroom, But Not in the Classroom”, Science: 28 January, 2011).

Links:

Dr. Eric Plutzer, Penn State
Defending Science Education in the Courtroom, but not in the Classroom, Science (January 28, 2011)
Evolution, Creationism, and the Battle to Control America’s Classrooms (Amazon.com)
Evolution, Creationism, and the Battle to Control America’s Classrooms (Google Books)
Bad Science Education in the U.S. (Pharyngula)
NCSE (National Center for Science Education)
NABT (National Association of Biology Teachers)

Direct download: LOL59.mp3

Episode 48 – Don’t Be Such a Scientist

Brian — Mon, 10 May 2010 05:15:07 +0000

Randy Olson (Credit: Sandy Huffaker for the New York Times

For our 100th podcast interview (including 52 interviews with Periodicity), we talk with former marine biologist turned filmmaker and author Randy Olson. Since we last talked with Randy about Flock of Dodos, he has since put out another movie (Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy) and a book (Don’t Be Such a Scientist: ). We talk with Randy about his new book and the importance of how scientists communicate.

We’d like to thank NSTA for their continued support of Lab Out Loud. If you haven’t already done so, make sure to join or renew your membership. If you have any comments from our third season, or have any suggestions for next year, please contact us.

Links:

Barnacle Sex Music Video (Barnacles Tell No Lies)

Direct download: LOL48.mp3

Episode 47 – Evolution for the Young Reader

Brian — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:15:53 +0000

Daniel Loxton

Our guest this week is Daniel Loxton, editor of Junior Skeptic and author/illustrator. Daniel joins us to talk about Junior Skeptic, shepherding and his new book: Evolution: How we and all Things Came to Be.

Links:

Praise From GeekDad (Wired):

Evolution

Daniel Loxton’s Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be (Kids Can Press, 2010) is the best overview of evolution for children of which I’m aware. There have been other recent kids’ books on Darwin, motivated by last year’s 150th anniversary of Origin of the Species. Instead of focusing on Darwin, Loxton sticks with explaining the mechanics of natural selection, both what it can accomplish and explain and what it can’t. Beautifully illustrated and elegantly written, any child interested in the story of life will be fascinated by it. There’s no need to take my word for it: This review is a couple of weeks later than I’d hoped, because my 6-yr-old kept stealing it and carrying it around the house to study.

Direct download: LOL47.mp3

Episode 46 – Paleontologist Scott from “Dinosaur Train”

Brian — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:15:13 +0000

Paleontologist Scott

You may know this week’s guest as Paleontologist Scott from the PBS hit show “Dinosaur Train”. In episode 46, Paleontologist Scott talks about the show, being a paleontologist, and his new book Dinosaur Odyssey.

Links:

Scott Sampson’s Website
Purchase Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life
Dinosaur Train (PBS)
Dinsosaur Train Videos
Dinosaur Train (Wikipedia Entry)
Dinosaur Fossil Reveals True Feather Colors (wired.com)
Listen to Colouring in Dinosaurs (Quirks and Quarks)
Masiakausaurus
Dinosaur Planet (IMDB)

Dinosaur Train Characters "Buddy" and "Tiny"

Direct download: LOL46.mp3

Episode 41 – NY Times Science Writer Nicholas Wade

Brian — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:15:16 +0000

Nicholas Wade

This week we talk with Nicholas Wade, author and science writer for the New York Times. Nicholas talks with us about his new book (The Faith Instinct), recent science breakthroughs and what to expect in the coming year.

Links:

Articles by Nicholas Wade from the NY Times
nicholas-wade.com
Wikipedia Entry on Nicholas Wade
The Faith Instinct (on Amazon.com)
Before the Dawn (on Amazon.com)
An Interview with Nicholas Wade from PLoS Genetics
An Interview with Nicholas Wade from the Scientist
Listen to our Interview with Nicholas Wade about his book “Before the Dawn” (from our previous podcast: Periodicity)
See Nicholas Wade on The Colbert Report

The Colbert Report

Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Nicholas Wade

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Economy

Direct download: LOL41.mp3

Episode 40 – Being Sean Carroll

Brian — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:15:33 +0000

Sean Carroll (physicist) and Sean B. Carroll (biologist) talk to us about their respective science fields, science education and being Sean Carroll. (NOTE: Scientists displayed below in alphabetical order)

Links:

Sean B Carroll

Sean B. Carroll (biologist)

seanbc arroll.com
Sean B. Carroll’s Lab
About Sean B. Carroll
HHMI Investigator Bio
Remarkable Creatures – NY Times Column
The Science of Evolution (video from the New York Times)
What Darwin Never Knew (PBS)
“Year of Darwin” You Tube Video
Lecture Video from Q2C Festival
Sean B Carroll at Scientific Commons
Sean B Carroll Author Page at Amazon.com
Lab Out Loud, Episode 2: Sean B. Carroll
Lab Out Loud, Episode 26: Stories of Evolution
Sean B. Carroll on Resurrecting the Extinct
(60 Minutes – 01/10/10)

Sean M Carroll

Sean M Carroll (physicist)

Direct download: LOL40.mp3

Episode 26: Stories of Evolution

Brian — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:16:05 +0000

Dr. Sean B. Carroll returns to the show this week to celebrate Darwin Day (Feb. 12, 2009). With two new books out (Remarkable Creatures and Into the Jungle), Dr. Carroll discusses the power of storytelling in teaching science. In fact, he even treats us with a story of how Darwin, Alfred Russell Wallace and Henry Walter Bates all contributed in developing the theory of evolution.

Brian and Dr. Carroll

Links:

seanbcarroll.com
Sean B. Carroll’s Lab
About Sean B. Carroll
The Science of Evolution (video from the New York Times)

Books:

Read and Download full text of On the Origin of Species
Download On the Origin of Species Audiobook from Librivox

Other Darwin/Evolution Coverage:

NY Times: Evolution
Nature Celebrates Darwin 200
Discover Magazine does Darwin
12 Elegant Examples of Evolution from Wired Magazine
Darwin and Wallace Shift the Paradigm from wired.com
All of Science Owes Debt to Darwin from the San Francisco Chronicle
The Evolution of Darwin’s Theory from the LA Times
I Am Evolution (from NPR’s This I Believe)
Darwin, Britain’s Hero, is still Controversial in US (from NPR)
Celebration Darwin’s Evolution Revolution (NPR)
At Home with Darwin… 200 Years On (BBC)
National Geographic: What Darwin Didn’t Know
National Geographic: Modern Darwins
National Geographic: Darwin’s First Clues
National Geographic: The Man Who Wasn’t Darwin (Wallace)
Evolution Wine

Direct download: LOL26.mp3

Episode 15 – Expelled Exposed

Brian — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:56:53 +0000

Dr. Eugenie Scott

In response to the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, we decided to talk with someone who has invested her life defending evolution. Dr. Eugenie Scott, Director for the National Center for Science Education, talks to us about the movie, the NCSE response, and the place of evolution in science education.

Direct download: nstalol15.mp3