Educators, i.e., science teachers, are not too unhappy about the change in taxonomy of planets. Some argue they can use it as a lesson in the way science always changes.
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My scientific specialty is chronobiology (circadian rhythms and photoperiodism), with additional interests in comparative physiology, animal behavior and evolution. I am not an MD so I cannot diagnose and treat your sleep problems. As well as writing this blog, I am also the Online Discussion Expert for PLoS. This is a personal blog and opinions within it in no way reflect the policies of PLoS. You can contact me at: Coturnix@gmail.com
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Pluto in schools
Category: Science Education
Posted on: August 28, 2006 1:55 AM, by Coturnix
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Comments
teachers have a good point. what is true today in science may not be true tomorrow. certainly some things may always hold, but if we look back even a mrere hundred years there's a lot of scientific 'truths' that seem, well, ridiculous.
i think we have to remember that science, like most everything, is ever evolving. and..............i don't think i'll get into the politics of science :)
Posted by: scout | August 28, 2006 6:56 AM
Columbia Law Professor Michael Dorf has a Findlaw Column about this that I really think hits the mark.
Posted by: Ahcuah | August 28, 2006 11:31 AM
Thank you. That's a good one.
Posted by: coturnix | August 28, 2006 11:52 AM
Better yet - they can use it to discuss what a planet IS, rather than just making students memorize a list of nine (or eight) names via some sort of pizza-related mnemonic.
Posted by: dr. dave | August 28, 2006 12:31 PM
The problem with this situation is that it's just a matter of changing a definition, and not actually an illustration of the tentative nature of scientific theories. Scientists didn't "discover" that Pluto wasn't a planet...they just accepted a definition in which it no longer qualifies. This is a part of science too (science can be messy and even arbitrary), but it should be made clear that when scientists talk of the tentative nature of science they mean that theories of how things are may change as new evidence comes to light and testable hypotheses confirmed for alternate theories.
Posted by: Dave S. | August 28, 2006 2:35 PM
I teach middle school science and on our first day last week a student said "I was glad school started today because I want to talk about what happened to Pluto." That is reason alone for me to be happy with the change.
Posted by: DRR | August 28, 2006 5:33 PM
Dead on the nose! These people get it.
I was so very disappointed every time I read some "Think of the schoolteachers!" lament in comments on Pluto's name change. Yes. God forbid our teachers actually have to teach something.
No, this is great. If I were a teacher, I'd definitely start up a discussion with my kids. Probably starting by asking them, "What do you think a planet is?" Heck, I'd probably just run with that for a while before getting into any discussion about what was actually decided. It's cool stuff to get kids interested, and when you compare the classroom discussion to the IAU conference, you can plant the idea, "Hey, I could do that, too!"
Posted by: Joshua | August 29, 2006 12:28 PM