Teach the Controversy

It doesn't work to simply scream "THERE IS NO CONTROVERSY!" - so let's arm ourselves and our kids with the ability to actively defend our beliefs.

"Teach the Controversy":
One of the soundbites from the creationist camp in an effort to get their ideas more exposure is "Teach the Controversy" - the idea being that even if you don't believe in creationism, you should at least accept the possibility that you are wrong and teach another view.  Their hope is that a) by being taught in schools, the perceived credibility of the idea increases, and b) by exposing more people to the idea, you can win converts.  Well, that, and they believe they are right, so why shouldn't you teach something that is right?

There is No Controversy?:
It is precisely for these reasons (except for the last one, I guess) that I was always against "teaching the controversy" - after all, amongst scientists, there is no controversy.   Yes, I realize that some credible scientists disagree, but they are a small minority, and we don't say that there is a controversy about whether man walked on the moon just because some don't believe it.  Not to say that evolution can't be wrong, just to say that there really isn't a controversy among scientists.

It's all well and good to make that claim, but in the world where 99% of us aren't scientists the folks with these counter-consensus ideas (against evolution, climate change, vaccinations, etc) are winning - they are picking up adherents left and right.  I think the problem is that most will learn just the basics around the consensus opinion from school - and in some cases less than that - and they go through life basically trusting that what they learned was probably right. Those that reject consensus, though, tend to really dive in on the subject and are often well-versed in the perceived shortcomings of what they don't like - and these tend to be very specific. Without knowledge of the specifics, the majority aren't equipped to rebut these arguments (even though a clear rebuttal may exist), and this dynamic can only favor the contrarians. 

Teach the Controversy, Redux:
So let's "teach the controversy" - but not as a presentation of two equally likely ideas.  Where we have increasingly popular attacks on ideas that we believe to be right, let's examine, and, when possible, debunk the attacks.  For example, when we teach evolution, have the kids go home and find a creationist claim that appears to contradict the theory. Then, in the class, discuss the theories and, if applicable, show the evidence that debunks the claim. This will equip kids to argue the specifics.

Further, it's not a terrible idea to offer a critical evaluation of the underpinnings of the alternatives.  Creationism isn't a theory (despite efforts by eerily well-funded organizations to legislate a change in the definition of the word - anybody have a relevant link for this?  I want to say it was in Kansas...) and it isn't terribly useful in science, so there are some reasonably straightforward holes that can be punched in it from a scientific if not theological perspective (and there are quality theological arguments against it as well, though public schools wouldn't be the place to dive in on that).

Don't Overreach:
Don't get carried away, though.  Remember that damned little is proven in this world, and that our understanding of the world evolves every day (the electron was the smallest particle when I was a kid, and then it was the quark, and now... I think there's something smaller).  If you can't find evidence to debunk a claim, admit it. Kids (and adults, for that matter) don't want to feel like they are being railroaded, and there is no faster way to lose credibility than by presenting a dishonest defense.  Climate change is a perfect place for this - the temperature on the Earth is the product of an insanely complex system, and even really smart people can be really bad at understanding insanely complex systems.  So global warming folks may be wrong.  This doesn't mean you need to concede the point - you don't throw out the baby with the bathwater and say just because there may be a problem with A, then B must logically be true... Just allow room for the theory to evolve...


In short, it's a losing proposition to ignore the allure of likely wrong ideas and abandon the active defense of good ideas.  So arm yourselves and your children and your students with not only the fundamentals, but a specific response to any wrong attacks that are out there, and let's keep America - and the world - smart.

Stay tuned for my ironically titled "Defense of Unpopular Mainstream Beliefs" series, where I'll muster a basic defense of some things that I (and most scientists) believe are true, but that are popular to attack, such as:  evolution, climate change, and vaccination.