I think Matt's point is really important. The Gallup poll was intentionally presented to the general public, and who would question the validity of gravity? (Nevermind which theory...that wouldn't have been an issue to those polled.)
It's only in the public debate over evolution that it becomes fine to undermine the scientific meaning of the word theory... Do you all remember a few years ago when a disclaimer was included in biology textbooks (in Kansas, I think) about theories? But the disclaimer referred to the non-scientific use of the word, and it was later removed. The common use of "theory" as being something untested and not yet proven allows for the validity of evolution to be undermined. All this debate and heated argument is really only because some people with strong religious beliefs see evolution as a direct confrontation to their spiritual beliefs and world view. Other scientific theories, like gravity, just don't confront people's tightly held religious beliefs. At least not now...but history gives us good examples of other crises and conflicts over scientific theories. Time will out. "Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience." -Ralph Waldo Emerson Lyndell On Sun, Feb 15, 2009 at 3:36 PM, Matthias Schultz <matthias6...@yahoo.com>wrote: > what if the gallup poll question had been "do you believe in the theory of > gravity"? > what you think the responses would have been? > > Matt > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: William Silvert <cien...@silvert.org> > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU > Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2009 4:58:35 AM > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Isaac Asimov quote/was Gallup poll on evolution > > I share the feeeling of Wendee and other respondents that "believe" is not > an appropriate word. The problem is that we haven't really come up wth > alternatives that reflect the inherent skepticism of science but that are > also meaningful to the general public. Evolution is a credible theory, > well-supported by evidence, etc., but none of these phrases have much bite. > After all, there is still a lot of common reference to "scientific proof", > and any attempts to revise our language to conform to the way that > scientists think (or should think) will simply weaken our case and be jumped > on by those who argue that the only thngs we really know are that g*d > exists, that everything in the bible/koran/etc. is absolutely true, and that > theirs is the only true faith. Knowledge is power, ain't it? > > Bill Silvert > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wendee Holtcamp" < > bohem...@wendeeholtcamp.com> > To: <ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU> > Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 6:17 PM > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Isaac Asimov quote/was Gallup poll on evolution > > > > That is frightening. Wonder why they chose to use "believe in" for this > > poll... > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news > > [mailto:ecolo...@listserv.umd.edu] On Behalf Of David Inouye > > Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 11:35 AM > > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU > > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Gallup poll on evolution > > > > http://www.gallup.com/poll/114544/Darwin-Birthday-Believe-Evolution.aspx > > > > PRINCETON, NJ -- On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Charles > > Darwin's birth, a new Gallup Poll shows that only 39% of Americans > > say they "believe in the theory of evolution," while a quarter say > > they do not believe in the theory, and another 36% don't have an > > opinion either way. These attitudes are strongly related to education > > and, to an even greater degree, religiosity. > > > > > > >
