"Hofmann, Jim" wrote:
................................................
> Miller, as well as other authors, do use simplified drawings of actual
> photos of emryos. They do so in order to emphasize the similarities they
> want students to be aware of. I see this as analogous to using an "idealized
> frictionless inclined plane" in a physics text to approximate motion down an
> actual inclined plane. "Fraud" is not applicable in either case.
Frictionless inclined planes, massless ropes &c are legitimate
theoretical concepts & can be pedagogically useful. But they need to be
complemented by experimental work which makes the student (& theorist!) aware
that real planes aren't frictionless, real ropes have mass &c. I would think
that a similar balance between theory & observation would be needed in teaching
evolution.
(If you ask a theoretical physicist to design a table for you, she/he
will happily design one with one leg or an infinite number of legs. But if you
want one with four legs, you may be out of luck!)
Shalom,
George
George L. Murphy
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
"The Science-Theology Dialogue"
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