Best Part was the Ending

I found the ending to be the most engaging part of this article. After reading 15 pages about a legal discussion concerning textbooks and curricula, the ending was a great juxtaposition. To me, it made a fantastic case for actually caring what we choose to teach in our schools. It also said to me that currently, as a society, we are failing our children.

Clearly, Scott Mehring was a man who was deeply fascinated by theories of God and the universe. Of the people that Chapman attempted to interview, he was the only one who cared. At some point, Mehring had learned about string theory, the Big Bang, spontaneous generation, particles like protons and neutrons, and programming. He assimilated all this information and constructed his own creative theory. Admittedly, his theory was slightly crazy (maybe the locals really were affected by Three Mile Island?). But maybe if Mehring’s life had gone differently, he would have channeled his passion into studying science instead of partying.

I firmly believe that if you want an educated public, you have to live in a society where science education is important. I think it’s wonderful that people are passionate about religion, but terrible that they are not equally passionate about science. It’s sad that people know so little about science that they mistakenly believe that it is in conflict with religion. It’s important to remember that legal battles about textbooks don’t stop in the classroom. They have lasting implications for the next generation.