Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site hao.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!ward
From: ward@hao.UUCP (Mike Ward)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: Re: Ethics 'n Stuff
Message-ID: <1481@hao.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 21-Apr-85 01:04:53 EST
Article-I.D.: hao.1481
Posted: Sun Apr 21 01:04:53 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 23-Apr-85 00:31:13 EST
References: <945@uwmacc.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: High Altitude Obs./NCAR, Boulder CO
Lines: 28

> (As an illustration of the poor job evolutionists do of transmitting
> information about their work, consider that the first place I learned
> of punctuated equilibrium was in an ICR publication!  One might
> hypothesize that I only read creationist literature, but I don't.  I
> read very little of it, actually.)

I, too, first heard of punctuated equilibrium from a creatonist - 
in this newsgroup, as a matter of fact.  But all I needed was
the name "Gould", and I have found little difficulty in continuing
my education.  I have spoken to several high school students
about this subject lately, and none of them have heard of Steven
Gould or punctuated equilibrium or creationism.  The task of
educating our citizens does not lie with the creationists or
the scientists.  It lies with the school systems.  Unfortunately.

Scientists tend to do a very good job of transmiting information
about their work to other scientists.  They tend to do a poor
job of transmiting this information to the public.  This is usually
left to news reporters and textbook writers.  Reporters never
seem to understand, whatever it is they are writing about.  Textbook
writers seem to be at least twenty years behind whatever field
they are writing about..

What all this means is that for a discussion to be meaningful,
a great deal of education is needed on both sides.  
Both sides should be engaging in this education.  A good place
to start is right here.  How about it - where's that exposition
of the theories of creation that we've been waiting for?