When Chemists Attack

While it’s not nearly as bas as this stunning example, the Greenville News has another painful-to-read letter that shows us why we need to strengthen science education.

Education based on false hypothesis results in faulty logic and reasoning.

Evolution is unsubstantiated theory and problematic with many scientific and mathematical laws. Carbon dating doesn’t allow for appearance of age at creation. Basic scientific facts and medical cures are totally dependent on a constant state of matter. Minor change occurs but everything still brings forth after its own kind. Genetic manipulation confirms creation. Man, created in God’s image, on a small scale imitates God.

I mean, where do you start with someone like this? Carbon dating’s not used to determine the age of the Earth, for one.

Nest, I’d ask this writer why he doesn’t believe that the universe was created last Thursday, since he seems to believe that his god is a trickster who creates things “with apparent age” – presumably to fool folks who honesty try to figure out what is going on.

The writer (ironically) mentions a “constant state of matter” – which I’m guessing means that he assumes that the properties of matter (like radioactive half life) don’t change over time. Of course, he doesn’t like the conclusions that scientists draw from this about the age of the Earth.

In short, he seems confused about every bit of science he mentions.

Of course, I don’t know the writer’s age and if he is actually a product of South Carolina’s educational system – there’s not enough information in the rest of the letter to tell. But if he’s a fair sample, we have a lot of work to do.

CNN and BBC are reporting that a chemistry laboratory at the National Institutiuon of Higher Learning in Chemistry at Mulhouse has exploded, killing a professor and injuring others.

Some reported that the explosion could be heard a mile away, and there’s no word yet on what caused it.

The story so far is too sketchy for me to even speculate on what caused the explosion.

A person on the chemical education mailing list I subscribe to posted this opinion.

Apart from this accident, such chemical incidents give a negative connotation to the layman (and future students) – chemistry is dangerous.

Well, chemistry is dangerous – as are many things. That’s why chemical educators should be extremely cautious in the laboratory, especially when working with students who have little laboratory experience.