George,
The best anatomy atlases use illustrations rather than photographs,
because of the vast range of variability in many organs, as well as for
the sake of clarity. I do not think this has diminished the quality or
value of medical school training in any way. (These illustration are, of
course, based on years, if not decades and centuries of anatomical
observations.)
Have similar complaints been made about the use of stylized diagrams of
faults, anticlines or mantle subduction in Geology textbooks?
Deliberate misrepresentation is, of course, inexcusable and indefensible,
but the use of drawn stylized illustrations is a powerful learning tool.
I think this may be Jim's point
Blaine
On Mon, 14 May 2001 07:20:10 -0400 George murphy <gmurphy@raex.com>
writes:
> "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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Jose Ortega y Gasset
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