{"id":1266,"date":"2011-03-13T10:09:03","date_gmt":"2011-03-13T14:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.flascience.org\/wp\/?p=1266"},"modified":"2011-03-13T11:26:29","modified_gmt":"2011-03-13T15:26:29","slug":"senator-wise-and-the-theory-of-whatever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1266","title":{"rendered":"Senator Wise and the “non-evolution” “theory of whatever”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tampa Tribune reporter Elaine Silvestrini finally got someone to speak on behalf of the new antievolution bill filed in the state senate (SB 1854<\/a>): Senator Stephen Wise himself (Story: Legislator’s challenge to evolution has some alarmed<\/a>). Senator Wise doesn’t say much of substance other than to sing the same old song that there needs to be other theories taught. But he avoids saying what those theories are despite having done so in 2009. Back then it was all about intelligent design. This year he just vaguely says that there is a theory of evolution and a “theory of whatever.” A similar bill he had filed in 2009 didn’t go anywhere, but he told the reporter that the chances are better this time around.<\/p>\n

Wise, R-Jacksonville, thinks his evolution bill may have a better chance this year because there are more conservatives in the Legislature and because he chairs a substantive committee.<\/p>\n

“Why would you not teach both theories at the same time?” Wise said, referring to evolution and what he called “non-evolution.”<\/p>\n

“You have critical thinking in school,” Wise added. “Why would you not do both?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The reporter then quotes a 2009 interview with Wise in which he rattles on about there being more than one theory, and pondering why there are still apes around if man came from apes. At this point I get a chance to highlight Wise’s ignorance of the subject.<\/p>\n

Brandon Haught of Florida Citizens for Science \u00e2\u20ac\u201d an organization that promotes science education in the state and opposes the teaching of Intelligent Design in public schools \u00e2\u20ac\u201d said evolution detractors fail to understand that when scientists use the term “theory” they mean something different than the word’s use in conversation.<\/p>\n

“A theory in science is one of the strongest things you can possibly have,” Haught said. “In science, a theory is not a guess. It’s an established explanation for a set of facts.”<\/p>\n

Haught called Wise’s bill “quite literally, an embarrassment for our state.”<\/p>\n

“Why drag everybody through this yet again?” asked Haught, who is interning to teach biology. “It’s already been hashed out.”<\/p>\n

“It’s quite clear,” Haught said, that Wise has “no background in biology.” Man did not descend from apes, Haught said, but the species share common ancestry.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The reporter also talked with Josh Rosenau, National Center for Science Education. Unfortunately, the reporter slips up a bit here, saying that the NCSE is “dedicated to keep evolution in the classroom and to keep other theories out.” That contradicts my quote about the true nature of theories in science. Good grief. Anyway, Josh praised Florida’s science standards that were approved in 2008 among a storm of controversy.<\/p>\n

Rosenau said Florida’s existing science standards have been reviewed by national experts who found them to be “really good. \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6The students are already doing the critical thinking.”<\/p>\n

“There’s no reason for the state Legislature to mandate that particular scientific theories be taught or how they should be taught,” Rosenau added. “There’s no particular reason to single out evolution.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wise is then quoted claiming that his bill has nothing to do with religion.<\/p>\n

“I think it’s a way in which people can have critical thinking,” he said of his bill. “If you just keep things away from folks, you don’t have a good debate, you don’t have, ‘You give me your side and I’ll give you my side,’ and you look at the facts and make your decision.<\/p>\n

“We’re not saying you ought to be a Muslim, you ought to be Jewish, you ought to be Christian or you ought to be Baptist or Episcopalian; what we’re saying is here’s a theory, a theory of evolution, a theory of whatever, and you decide.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And then the final paragraphs feature the Florida ACLU. Yes, the bill is all about intelligent design and thus religion. And a lawsuit could be in Florida’s future, depending on how things fall out.<\/p>\n

“There would be litigation,” [Howard Simon] said, “were some county school district to be silly enough to be enticed by the legislation to teach religion instead of science.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Stay tuned, folks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tampa Tribune reporter Elaine Silvestrini finally got someone to speak on behalf of the new antievolution bill filed in the state senate (SB 1854): Senator Stephen Wise himself (Story: Legislator’s challenge to evolution has some alarmed). Senator Wise doesn’t say … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcZNLl-kq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1271,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1271","url_meta":{"origin":1266,"position":0},"title":"Evolution “caught in the act!” Quick, notify Senator Wise!","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"March 17, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Florida citizens: You have a mission! Senator Wise is very busy, and so he may not be aware of some rebellious researchers lurking in Gainesville. These lab-coat wearing troublemakers are stomping all over Sen. Wise's turf. They are daring to (gasp) conduct research on (gulp) EVOLUTION! We need to let\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"Critical Analysis\" bills '11"","block_context":{"text":"\"Critical Analysis\" bills '11","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=29"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1265,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1265","url_meta":{"origin":1266,"position":1},"title":"Record number of bills","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"March 11, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Lauri Lebo, writing at Religion Dispatches, notes that Florida's current antievolution bill is one among several such bills filed this year across the country: \"Record Number of Stealth Creationism Bills Introduced in 2011.\" She nails Senator Wise for his past statements on his wanting intelligent design taught in public schools.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"Critical Analysis\" bills '11"","block_context":{"text":"\"Critical Analysis\" bills '11","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=29"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1267,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1267","url_meta":{"origin":1266,"position":2},"title":"Press Release: 2011 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Critical Analysis\u00e2\u20ac\u009d bill","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"March 13, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Florida Citizens for Science Press Release: \"Critical Analysis\" bill harmful to Florida science education. Florida Citizens for Science opposes Senator Stephen Wise's recently filed bill -- SB 1854, Required Instruction in the Public Schools -- as it is clearly unnecessary, harmful to science education, and sends a negative message to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"Critical Analysis\" bills '11"","block_context":{"text":"\"Critical Analysis\" bills '11","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=29"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1261,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1261","url_meta":{"origin":1266,"position":3},"title":"The return of the Florida antievolution bill","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"March 7, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"It's baaaaack! State Senator Stephen Wise is taking another stab at challenging the teaching of evolution in Florida schools with Senate Bill 1854 \"Required Instruction in the Public Schools\". There are other non-science-related items in the bill, but the part that targets evolution reads: 1003.42 Required instruction.\u00e2\u20ac\u201d (2) Members of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"Critical Analysis\" bills '11"","block_context":{"text":"\"Critical Analysis\" bills '11","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=29"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":925,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=925","url_meta":{"origin":1266,"position":4},"title":"“Critical analysis” bill filed by Wise today","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"February 27, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"All that bluster about mandating intelligent design creationism was much ado about nothing, I guess. Today, Senator Stephen Wise filed SB 2396: Educational Instruction; Requires that the instructional staff of a\u00c2\u00a0 public school teach a thorough presentation and critical analysis of the\u00c2\u00a0 scientific theory of evolution and certain governmental, legal,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"ID Creationism\" bills '09"","block_context":{"text":"\"ID Creationism\" bills '09","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=27"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1272,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1272","url_meta":{"origin":1266,"position":5},"title":"Antievolution bill referred to senate committees","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"March 17, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Senator Stephen Wise's \"non-evolution\" \"theory of whatever\" bill (SB 1854, critical analysis of evolution in public schools) was referred to two senate committees today: Education Pre-K -12, and Budget. The chair of the education committee is none other than Sen. Wise himself. He also is a member of the Budget\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"Critical Analysis\" bills '11"","block_context":{"text":"\"Critical Analysis\" bills '11","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=29"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1266"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1266"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1266\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}