Hi, Macuahuitl, and welcome to EvC.
Teaching old age dates as fact is ignorant of alternate logical and even scientific interpretations of radiometric dating results...
Actually, it's not. Alternate "interpretations" of radiometric dating results are neither logical nor scientific.
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...considering the parable of the candle.
Unless you can establish some relevant similarity to candles and radiometric dating, your "parable" has no relevance.
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I understand that there are many different beliefs out there about origins and they can't all be taught in science (partially as some are unscientific), so may i suggest we just don't teach any viewpoints in school etc., then if people want to find out what the origins of man and the universe are they can teach themselves at home etc. thus come to a more unbias approach to a conclusion on the matter.
I have a better idea. Since we all want our kids to grow up understanding the facts about the world and applying critical thinking skills to problems that will face them as adults, I suggest we teach those topics that can actually be verified by physical evidence. Like the theory of evolution.
I also suggest that we don't avoid teaching certain subjects, like geology and evolutionary biology, just because some religious sect or another is offended that reality contradicts their cherished mythologies.
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Should old age dates be taught as fact in the science classroom?
To sum up: yes, because the old age dates
are facts.
Computers have cut-and-paste functions. So does right-wing historical memory. --
Rick Perlstein
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