Science Education
Category archives for Science Education
Climate Science in the K-12 Classroom
Posted by Greg Laden on April 9, 2016 
Calling U.S. K-12 Science Education Professionals! GHF Online science instructor Madeline Goodwin is doing her Master’s thesis research on climate science in the classroom, and she needs your help! She is doing a survey of science education professionals to find the answer to the following question: What are the most important climate science concepts for…
From the mouths of babes: “We’re worried. Please debate science.”
Posted by Greg Laden on January 21, 2016 
I had previously mentioned the ScienceDebate ad with the kids asking for a science debate. Here is some local coverage on the story (the ad was made here in the Twin Cities) including an interview with one of the stars, Susanlyn Singroy. (I don’t agree with everything she said, but what the heck, she’s asking…
If the Candidates Talk About Big Science Issues …
Posted by Greg Laden on January 11, 2016 
… maybe they’ll actually do something about them. Remember the Democratic and Republican party debates that were held just before that major international meeting about climate change, participated in by every country in the world? Of course you do. Do you remember the candidates’ responses to the questions about climate change posed during those debates?…
STEM in 2015: Brianne Bilyeu, Maddy Love, Greg Laden and August Berkshire
Posted by Greg Laden on December 23, 2015 
Homo naledi and the Chamber of Secrets ~ Psychology’s Inner Demons ~ Chilesaurus: The One That Went Vegan ~ Neurons Alter DNA All Day, Every Day Popular science fans may recognize some of these colorful titles from the most recent publication of Discover Magazine’s 100 Top Stories of 2015. We at Atheists Talk enjoy a…
On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit
Posted by Greg Laden on November 30, 2015 
A new paper out in the journal Judgement and Decision Making by Gordon Pennycook, James Cheyne, Nathaniel Barr, Derek Koehler, and Jonathan Fugelsang. The abstract: Although bullshit is common in everyday life and has attracted attention from philosophers, its reception (critical or ingenuous) has not, to our knowledge, been subject to empirical investigation. Here we…
STEM Kids Holiday Presents Ideas
Posted by Greg Laden on November 23, 2015 
I know a lot of you are looking for ideas for science-related children’s presents for Christmas or whatever holiday you like to celebrate this time of year. I have a couple of ideas, and hopefully you will add some of your ideas below. Not everything that helps encourage the skills of scientific tinkering is found…
What Americans Really Want: Science, Candidates, Debates
Posted by Greg Laden on October 13, 2015 
It is debate season for the US presidential race. As usual, science is being viewed as a debating point very differently by the two parties, at least so far. The Democratic candidates, yet to actually debate, are currently engaged in dealing policy statements about important scientific issues such as climate change. In previous election cycles,…
How To Evaluate Science Stories
Posted by Greg Laden on September 8, 2015 
I’m on my way to a taping of the Humanist Views with Host Scott Lohman. I do these now and then and have done so since I first moved to Minnesota back when it was still cold here. We’ll be talking about science knowledge, and why basic science knowledge is important. We’ll also be talking…
Climate Science As A Second Front for Biology Teachers
Posted by Greg Laden on April 20, 2015 
The American Biology Teacher has hosted a guest editorial by Glenn Branch and Minda Berbeco of the NCSE. The editorial points out that climate science is under a similar sort of anti-science attack as evolution has been for years, though generally with different (less religious) motivations. Also noted is the problem of fitting climate change…
Should the Smithsonian and Other Museums Blow Off Big Fossil?
Posted by Greg Laden on March 27, 2015 
Let me start off by saying something you may not know. The big corporations and the 1%ers you have learned to hate fund many of the projects you’ve learned to love. I have not checked lately, but Murdoch and FOX corporation for several years in a row funded at a 50% or 60% level virtually…