ms.peachy
12-09-2005, 07:19 AM
OK, so here's something that's kind of freaking me out a bit.
I am working with a kid who is really interested in fossils. So, I'm putting together a list of websites for him to use for reference. And so I'm surfing about a bit on the net, looking for reputable sites with good information on how they form and what scientists can learn by studying them.
So, I wanted to be sure to have a source of info available for him on what radioisotope dating is and how its used to place things within the fossil record, and I googled the words "radioisotope dating".
Out of the 10 links on the first page, fully six of them were from ultraconservative creationist organisations, and only two contained any real information. (The remaining two were editorials.)
Now I am not accusing Google of having a creationist bias or agenda per se, insofar as I understand their 'page rank' system to work, but still, ve scary. Because it mean that if it's not Google's agenda, then there are an awful lot of people out there accessing that rubbish creationist crap.
If had just said to this kid, "Go see what you can learn about how scientists use radioisotope dating to place discoveries within the fossil record," he's 14, he wouldn't neccessarily have the breadth of experience to say 'hey wait, this isn't a science website, this is a religious site," you know?
Grrrrr. I can't stand those Young Earth nutjobs. I really can't.
I am working with a kid who is really interested in fossils. So, I'm putting together a list of websites for him to use for reference. And so I'm surfing about a bit on the net, looking for reputable sites with good information on how they form and what scientists can learn by studying them.
So, I wanted to be sure to have a source of info available for him on what radioisotope dating is and how its used to place things within the fossil record, and I googled the words "radioisotope dating".
Out of the 10 links on the first page, fully six of them were from ultraconservative creationist organisations, and only two contained any real information. (The remaining two were editorials.)
Now I am not accusing Google of having a creationist bias or agenda per se, insofar as I understand their 'page rank' system to work, but still, ve scary. Because it mean that if it's not Google's agenda, then there are an awful lot of people out there accessing that rubbish creationist crap.
If had just said to this kid, "Go see what you can learn about how scientists use radioisotope dating to place discoveries within the fossil record," he's 14, he wouldn't neccessarily have the breadth of experience to say 'hey wait, this isn't a science website, this is a religious site," you know?
Grrrrr. I can't stand those Young Earth nutjobs. I really can't.