sad when a museum has to resort to this

[datasuspect]

to "rally public support for time-tested principles of science as they come under religious attack"


dark ages, anyone?




New Field exhibit takes on Darwin detractors
Museum event details his life, examines his discoveries and champions the science

By William Mullen
Tribune staff reporter
Published June 12, 2007, 11:15 PM CDT


In 1831 Charles Darwin was a callow 22-year-old college graduate trained in theology and science when he embarked on a two-year, around-the-world voyage on the British ship Beagle. He was the expedition's unpaid scientist, his duty as much as anything being to provide conversational company for the ship's aristocratic captain.

The voyage, ostensibly to map the coastline and ports of South America, ended up taking five years. Darwin, thinking of himself mainly as a geologist, brought home thousands of geological, botanical and zoological specimens and ideas that eventually shook the world and have shaped biological science and theology ever since.

As part of the Field Museum's campaign to rally public support for time-tested principles of science as they come under religious attack, the museum on Friday opens "Darwin," a major temporary exhibit that traces the life and career of the man who first devised the theory of biological evolution and natural selection.

Using the naturalist's personal effects, hundreds of specimens, historical photographs, notebooks, manuscripts, living animals and film, the exhibit vividly explains evolutionary theory and re-creates the upper crust world of Victorian science in which Darwin, the son of a wealthy physician and financier, was reared.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070612darwin,1,4288470.story?coll=chi-news-hed

[ClassWarrior]

1. On the other hand, it's good there are museums there to do that.

NGU.

[datasuspect]

2. sad, but necessary

and yes, a good thing.

[swimmernsecretsea]

4. And it'll only help.

Maybe some of the more reluctant public that has rejected the idea of evolution will be more accepting once they see an educated, interested member of the community, instead of a petulant, stubborn President to model their opinions and knowledge after.

[unpossibles]

3. it's sad they have to

but great they do. I only hope that more fence-sitters and doubters will check it out with an open mind, especially the ones who obviously do not understand anything about evolution or Darwin's theory describing the mechanics of it.

[WindRavenX]

5. Wanna hear something even crazier?

One of my evolution professors told me when he was working at the NY Museum of Natural Science, there was a huge life-size model of an African elephant--realistic, and anatomically correct. Well, apparently, he *always* got complaints about the penis being visable to everyone, including children :eyes:

Grow up people.

Yeah, I think there needs to be a massive educational campaign about what evolution really means, because a lot of people are clueless.