Re: Paleontology and Dinosaurology 101: What layperson MUST to know about?

["Kelly Wicks" <kwicks78@gmail.com>]

I will have to agree with R.T. on that the "anti-science" community has 
disseminated their voice for a fair amount of time.  With the increased use of 
the internet and social media they will continue to skew scientific knowledge.  
Most lay persons don't watch scientific documentary's,  why watch that when you 
can watch American Idol?  

Where I currently live (eastern Montana) on one or both of the radio 
channels... Ken Hamm(?) comes on and talks about creationism and what science 
doesn't know...even with out dated information.  Its the longest minute of my 
day.

I think science as a whole should counter what is being said.  As it is the 
education system that will fail if this gets out of hand.  We have already seen 
bills pop up at the state levels in support of creationism of not to balance 
out what is being said. 

SVP, academy of science and others should be able to combine their resources 
and talents to get people re-educated.  Looking at social media sites and the 
comments that are left on news stories show what a percentage of what people 
know about the sciences.  For example... National Geographic on Facebook posted 
a link about Titanoceratops... 152+ comments including verses from genesis 
explaining how this happened and others that sort of get it.  

We have the opportunity to reverse this trend.  Knowledge is power but lack of 
knowledge is devastating.


Kelly Wicks.

------Original Message------
From: Raptorial Talon
Sender: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu
To: tholtz@umd.edu
Cc: rmtakata@gmail.com
Cc: dinosaur@usc.edu
ReplyTo: raptorialtalon@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Paleontology and Dinosaurology 101: What layperson MUST to know 
about?
Sent: Feb 6, 2011 9:09 AM

/applauds Dr. Holtz's post/

I wish scientists in any given field could collectively decide on a
"mission statement" of what is most critical about their field for the
public to know, maybe staggered in varying levels of detail, so that a
consistent response supported by a lot of voices could be delivered
into the mainstream. Anti-science voices are far more organized and
media-savvy overall and far more on-point during their time on the
airwaves, and I have to think it would be highly beneficial if they
could be matched soundbite for soundbite . . .


(406) 539-7382
kwicks78@gmail.com
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry.