10 Evolution Korea Meetups You Should Attend
Wiki Article
Evolution Korea
The economic crisis that swept across Asia led to a major rethinking of the traditional system of government, business alliances, as well as public management of risk. In Korea this meant a shift in the development paradigm.
In a controversial move, the South Korean government has requested textbooks publishers to ignore calls for the removal of examples of evolution from high school science texts. This includes the evidence of the evolution of horses and of the bird ancestor Archaeopteryx.
1. Evolution and Religion
A South Korean creationist group has pushed textbook publishers to remove evidence of evolution from high-school science texts. The move was a result of a campaign led by the Society for Textbook Revise (STR) which is an offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research that aims to clear biology books of "atheist materialism." The STR claims that such materialism paints an unhopeful picture for students, and could lead to their eventual denial of faith.
Scientists across the globe expressed concerns when the STR campaign was featured in the news. Jae Choe, an evolutionary biologist at Ewha Womans University, Seoul wrote in an open letter to Nature's editor that South Korea had succumbed to religious prejudice. He was backed by colleagues around the country, who formed an organization called Evolution Korea to organize a petition against the changes to the textbooks.
Some researchers are concerned that the STR could spread to other parts around the globe, including areas where creationism has been on the rise. The letter to Nature warned that the anti-evolution movement could intensify pressure for revisions to textbooks in other countries, particularly those with large Christian and Muslim population.
South Korea's culture is especially strong in the debate over evolution. 26 percent of the country's citizens are members of a religious denomination, and most adhere to Christianity or Buddhism. Additionally, a large portion of Koreans adhere to Ch'ondogyo, a philosophy that is based on Confucian principles that emphasizes harmony among people and personal self-cultivation. Ch'ondogyo teaches that human beings are one with Hanulnim the God of the Sun, and that heaven-bound blessings are possible through the good deeds of a person.
All of this has provided an ideal environment for the spread of creationism. Numerous studies have revealed that students with a religious background are more hesitant about learning evolution than those who do not have a religious background. The underlying causes of this phenomenon are not known. Students who have a religious background may be less experienced with the theories of science, making them more susceptible to creationists influence. Another possibility is that students who have religious beliefs are more likely to see evolution as an atheistic idea and therefore less comfortable with it.
2. Evolution and Science
In recent years, campaigns against evolution in schools have raised concern among the scientific community. A 2009 survey revealed that over 40% of Americans believe that biological evolution is wrong, and that a belief in it would be contrary to their religious beliefs. Many scientists believe that, despite the popularity of creationism, the best way to stop this movement is to educate the public about the evidence for evolution.
Scientists are accountable to teach their students science that includes the theory of evolution. They must also educate the public on the process of scientific research and how knowledge is confirmed. They must also explain that theories of science are frequently challenged and re-examined. However, misunderstandings about the nature of scientific research frequently fuel anti-evolution beliefs.
Many people mistake the term "theory" as a hunch, or a guess. In science, however an hypothesis is rigorously tested, and empirical data is used to confirm it. A theory that survives repeated testing and observation is a scientific principle.
The debate about the theory of evolution is a wonderful opportunity to discuss both the importance of scientific method and its limits. It is crucial to realize that science is not able to answer questions about the meaning or meaning of life, but it is merely a means that allows living things to develop and adapt.
Moreover, a well-rounded education should include exposure to the vast majority of scientific fields, including evolutionary biology. This is crucial because a lot of jobs and decisions require people know how science works.
The vast majority of scientists around the world agree that humans have evolved through time. In a recent study that predicted adults' views of the consensus on this topic people with higher levels of education and scientific knowledge were found to be more likely to believe there is a wide agreement among scientists about the evolution of humans. People with a higher level of religious belief but less science knowledge tend to be more divided. It is essential that teachers stress the importance of gaining an understanding of this consensus, so that people can make informed decisions regarding the use of energy, health care, and other policy matters.
3. Evolution and Culture
Cultural evolution is a close relative of the popular evolutionary theory. It examines the ways that humans and other species learn from each other. Researchers in this field utilize explanation models and tools adapted from those used by evolutionary theorists. they go back to human prehistory get more info to discover the origins of our capacity for culture.
This method also acknowledges the difference between traits that are cultural and biological. While biological traits are typically acquired in one go (in sexual species, during fertilization) but cultural traits can be acquired over a long period of time. The acquisition of one cultural characteristic can affect the development and growth of a different.
In Korea, the adoption of Western elements of style in the late nineteenth and early 20th century was the result of an intricate sequence of events. One of the most important was the arrival in Korea of Japanese occupation forces who introduced Western hairstyles and clothing.
When Japan left Korea in the 1930s some of these trends began to reverse. By the end World War II, Korea was once again united and again under Choson dynasty rule.
Today, Korea is a vibrant economic and political power. Despite the recent financial crisis, Korea's economy has been growing at a steady pace over the last decade. It is expected to keep this trend going in the future.
However, the current government is facing a variety of challenges. One of the most significant is the inability to come up with a coherent policy to tackle the economic crisis. The crisis has exposed the weaknesses of the country's economy policies, including its excessive dependence on exports and foreign investment, which may not be sustainable in the long run.
The crisis has shaken the confidence of investors, the government must rethink its economic strategy and look for alternatives to boost domestic demand. To ensure a stable financial climate, the government will have to reform its incentive system, monitoring and discipline. This chapter provides a number of scenarios for how the Korean economy might develop post-crisis.
4. Evolution and Education
The challenge for evolution educators is to teach evolutionary concepts that are appropriate for different levels of development and ages. Teachers need to, for instance, be sensitive to the diversity of religions in their classrooms and create a learning environment where students of both religious and secular perspectives feel comfortable. Teachers should also be able recognize common misconceptions regarding evolution and be able to address them in the classroom. Additionally, teachers should be able to access a range of resources that are available to teach evolution and be able to locate them quickly.
In this context, the Thinking Evolutionarily Convocation was an important step in bringing together evolutionary scientists and educators from a range of fields to discuss best practices for teaching evolution. The participants included representatives from scientific societies, educational researchers, government funding agency officials as well as curriculum developers. The convergence of these diverse groups helped to identify a shared set of recommendations that will form the basis for future action.
It is important to include evolution in all science curricula, at every level. National Science Education Standards (NRC), which call for the integration of evolution across all life sciences, with a progression that is developmentally appropriate, are a good way to achieve this goal. Additionally, a new publication from the NRC offers guidance to schools on how they can integrate evolution into their life science curriculum.
Multiple studies have shown that a more thorough presentation of evolution is linked to a greater understanding of students and belief in the concept of evolution. It is difficult to estimate the causal effects of evolution in the classroom, since the curriculum for schools do not change in a random manner and are affected by the timing of state boards of education and gubernatorial elections. To overcome this issue, i use a longitudinal dataset that allows me control for the effects of years and states fixed as well as individual-level variations in the beliefs of teachers about evolutionary theory.
Another important result is that teachers who feel more comfortable teaching evolution report having fewer personal barriers to teaching it. This is in line with the notion that more confident faculty are less likely to be hesitant about evolution-related topics in the classroom. They may also be more inclined to employ strategies such as a reconciliatory approach known to increase undergraduate students' acceptance of evolution.