Here’s another brilliant video from AronRa dispelling the common misperception that because we call it the “theory” of evolution that it is somehow “unproven” and therefore can be rejected. This notion comes from a misunderstanding of what scientists mean when they use the word “theory”. AronRa clears that up in a little over 10 information-packed minutes.
AronRa’s description of the video:
“The first of a two-part final installment to this series, explaining what the words, hypothesis, fact, law, and Theory actually are, rather than what creationists want us to think they are. Hint: a scientific theory isn’t a guess, but an explanative study of real phenomenon.”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wv6kgjOEL0[/youtube]
An aside:
AronRa’s videos are a great example of what I consider a new art form enabled by the internet. His videos are a frenetic blend of high and low culture grabbed from all over the web and take advantage of our ability to easily stop the playback to review the dense presentation.
Edited for television, the pace would have to be much slower in order to give us time to digest one point before moving on to the next. The information presented in this 10 minute video would probably swell to 30 or more as a standard documentary.
By realizing and taking advantage of the power we now have to control playback, AronRa has pushed the documentary form in a different direction. I have the feeling that it’s only the first baby step in the breaking of the traditional documentary paradigms to which we have become accustomed.
Mike: Almost 1,000 scientists named "Steve" have now signed this statement in support of evolution:
Evolution is a vital, well-supported, unifying principle of the biological sciences, and the scientific evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of the idea that all living things share a common ancestry. Although there are legitimate scientific debates about the patterns and processes of evolution, there is no serious scientific doubt that evolution occurred or that natural selection is a major mechanism of evolution. It is scientifically inappropriate and pedagogically irresponsible for creationist pseudoscience, including but not limited to "intelligent design," to be introduced into the science curricula of the public schools.
http://ncseweb.org/taking-action/project-steve
I was relieved to read the article and view the film after viewing your provacative title… I believe strongly in American schools teaching real science and not inflicting "dark ages myths" on our children. Thank you, Mary Ann
My favorite part is watching Huckabee trot out that old "unproven theory" line. Either he is completely disingenuous to be able to say that with a straight face even though he knows it's a crock, or he really thinks that! Either way, it's just one more reason why I agree with AronRa when he says,
"Ya, see Huckleberry? That's why YOU didn't get the job!"
Mary Ann wrote: "I was relieved to read the article and view the film after viewing your provacative title…"
Mike replies:
I've been studying marketing!!
Mike: You're such a huckster!
Mike: I agree with you that AronRa packs a whallop with his videos. Really nice clean concepts (fast-paced though they are). I especially enjoyed his taunt about music "theory."
He must have put hundreds of hours into this video to get it just right, drawing from so many sources and writing and editing so carefully. Good humor along the way too.