I'd like to make a suggestion for Dr. PZ. Myers and the Secular Student Alliance on their upcoming trip to the Creation Museum.
I've mentioned once before in the Pharyngula blog that I would like to see some qualified scientists explaining the exhibits at the Creation museum. Unfortunately, that post seems to be beyond my Google-Fu, so I'll try to recreate my idea here for future reference.
My suggestion:
There will be over 240 secular people going on the August 7th trip to the Creation Museum. Undoubtedly, several of these people will be well-qualified in biology, paleontology, and geology.
This is an unbelievably perfect opportunity to do the fieldwork necessary to create an audio "walking tour" of the museum for future secular visitors. Many museums have these sorts of audio tours, where the listener is guided step by step through the museum and told about the next exhibit.
From this trip, it should be possible to make a well documented guide that corresponds to a map of the museum. At each display, each sign, the announcer can explain why (or not) an exhibit is wrong, and how we know it is wrong. Perhaps an expert could be interviewed to explain the reasoning. Perhaps the explanation of each exhibit could be the voice of a different expert that attended this trip.
Once compiled, and added to a map of the museum, the MP3 would be made available for download to anyone who planned a future Creation Museum trip. A future secular visitor could accompany religious family on the trip, listen to real science, and still enjoy him or herself while friends and family praise the Lord.
Better still, such a person would have the ammunition to counter a religious argument.
But then what?
When the secular audio tour of the Creation Museum is widely used, the Museum will be forced to counter the facts with more religious sophistry. Perhaps they'll change the explanations, or add more. Maybe they'll try to add evidence? (I'd love to see the evidence for Creationism. I'm still waiting.) In any case, this will be an excellent chance for the audio guide to be updated to include new material.
It would be fun.
Best of all, there are hundreds of people who wish they too could attend this event, but who (like me) are unable to travel across the country to attend. With a map, some photos, and the tour guide, it could be like we were there!
C'mon PZ, make the suggestion. Maybe someone will step up. I'd be happy to provide what little skills I have with Audacity to help out.
I've mentioned once before in the Pharyngula blog that I would like to see some qualified scientists explaining the exhibits at the Creation museum. Unfortunately, that post seems to be beyond my Google-Fu, so I'll try to recreate my idea here for future reference.
My suggestion:
There will be over 240 secular people going on the August 7th trip to the Creation Museum. Undoubtedly, several of these people will be well-qualified in biology, paleontology, and geology.
This is an unbelievably perfect opportunity to do the fieldwork necessary to create an audio "walking tour" of the museum for future secular visitors. Many museums have these sorts of audio tours, where the listener is guided step by step through the museum and told about the next exhibit.
From this trip, it should be possible to make a well documented guide that corresponds to a map of the museum. At each display, each sign, the announcer can explain why (or not) an exhibit is wrong, and how we know it is wrong. Perhaps an expert could be interviewed to explain the reasoning. Perhaps the explanation of each exhibit could be the voice of a different expert that attended this trip.
Once compiled, and added to a map of the museum, the MP3 would be made available for download to anyone who planned a future Creation Museum trip. A future secular visitor could accompany religious family on the trip, listen to real science, and still enjoy him or herself while friends and family praise the Lord.
Better still, such a person would have the ammunition to counter a religious argument.
But then what?
When the secular audio tour of the Creation Museum is widely used, the Museum will be forced to counter the facts with more religious sophistry. Perhaps they'll change the explanations, or add more. Maybe they'll try to add evidence? (I'd love to see the evidence for Creationism. I'm still waiting.) In any case, this will be an excellent chance for the audio guide to be updated to include new material.
It would be fun.
Best of all, there are hundreds of people who wish they too could attend this event, but who (like me) are unable to travel across the country to attend. With a map, some photos, and the tour guide, it could be like we were there!
C'mon PZ, make the suggestion. Maybe someone will step up. I'd be happy to provide what little skills I have with Audacity to help out.
1 comment:
Wish I could help with that!
Sorry, it has been so long since I've posted and been by and sorry you've not had the time either.
Over the last few weeks I've been part of a new forum (to me at least) regarding my new hobby (sorry, ya'll really don't want to know what it is - I'm southern after all;)
This forum happens to have a religious section which I ventured into and even posted. Let me reiterate what I've said before: PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I'VE EVER ACTED LIKE THAT!!!!
I have so walked in your shoes. I had no idea the level of animosity that exists towards me as an Elder in the United Methodist Church (okay, maybe I THOUGHT it was there, but good, googly, moogly!)
Sorry, just had to share this with ya'll. Thanks for understanding. I know you do.
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