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Subject: 
Re: In the interest of full disclosure...
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Fri, 9 Feb 2001 18:40:47 GMT
Viewed: 
393 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Markus Wolf writes:
  I guess the problem I have is that the peppered moth was shown as THE
proof of evolution in our time to the masses.  There should be some sort of
accountability that expresses, "We were wrong here" in a very public way.
You can't be so boisterous when you're using it to support your "facts" and
then sweep it under the rug when it's no longer a convenient lie.  That's
irresponsible, and such witnesses in a court of law would be dismissed as
invalid.
  As someone who's not as versed in science as you all, I resent the fact
that I was led astray by the public school system with this bunk.  Someone
owes a whole bunch of people an apology, regardless of whether you think the
evolutionary model is still valid.

I certainly agree-- but who? Let's say we discovered that, oh, I dunno, Rome
didn't 'fall' to the Visigoths, but instead some disease infested the city
and they were forced to relocate. But the Romans, not wanting to appear as
though Gods stuck down their city, told everyone that it was the Visigoths,
so that they'd have someone 'evil' to blame, and still be 'righteous' or
something. Anyway, it's just a silly example.

But let's say we found out. Who's responsible? Should the ancient Romans
apologize for the lie? Should textbook writers/editors? Was it their fault
the information was faulty?

If whoever it was that conducted the peppered moth 'experiment' was still
alive today, then sure. I DO think they owe everyone an apology. But in
their abscence, what can we do except to try and extinguish the existing
falsehoods? And granted mine was a weak example-- clearly the 'true' story
of Rome's fall would be broadcasted and heralded as the 'new' and 'correct'
information, but a fake experiment? Of what consequence is it? It proves
nothing and disproves nothing. Other than a bit of 'gossip' about a
particular scientist or group of them, what value does the fake experiment
offer us?

DaveE



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: In the interest of full disclosure...
 
(...) I guess the problem I have is that the peppered moth was shown as THE proof of evolution in our time to the masses. There should be some sort of accountability that expresses, "We were wrong here" in a very public way. You can't be so (...) (24 years ago, 9-Feb-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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