by Chameleon 13 Replies latest jw friends
after hearing the stupidity of last sunday's watchtower about trusting the bible over science, no matter what, i'm ready to educate myself.
science wasn't one of my strong subjects in high school; didn't like formulas and all that, but i'm ready to learn now.
so, where should i start?
For creationism vs. evolution, you could try Talk Origins.
Actually, dividing and conquering is your best bet when it comes to tackling science.
First, let's break science into its branches. I am aware that science has biology, chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy, and math as its primary branches. Each branch has subjects within it: biology has within it medicine, taxonomy, ecology, and cellular function within it. Chemistry is broken down to inorganic, organic, and electrical (the voltaic potential). Physics is broken down to motion (kenetics), waves, optics, and thermodynamics. Of course, there may well be other divisions.
And then there is the integration between branches. If you take one branch and learn it out of context, it will be much harder than if you start with the entry level and try and find common denominators. Better, for instance, to start learning the elementary facts about a major branch (like biology or physics). Once you learn the basics, it will be that much easier to learn more specialized features of your branch. The broader a basic knowledge you have (and the better you are at integrating one concept with others), the easier it will be.
After you have selected one branch, you dedicate a unit toward that. You do online research. You may need to take courses in that branch, but it will probably cost you money if you do. Master the basics. Then, try to integrate it into the sub-branches so it will be easier to learn. Once you have the desired level of proficiency in one branch, you move to another. Repeat this process until you are satisfied, all the while trying to integrate one branch with others. Math is most important to integrate with science--it will make learning those formulas that much easier.
Let me try posting this link: http://www.howstuffworks.com/evolution4.htm
I'm reading this right now:
http://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Nearly-Everything/dp/0767908171
It is a summary of the history and status of science of every branch- astrophysics, quantum mechanics, particle theory, geology, biology, age of the earth, age of the universe, shape of the universe, dark matter, etc, etc, etc. It is written by a journalist- not a scientist- so its not too dense and written for the layperson.
Have some fun with Bill Nye the science guy
Pick up an apple. Drop it three times. Watch apple fall three times. That's science.
Set apple on table and wait for it to float to the ceiling. That's religion.
Set apple on table and wait for apple to turn into a Buick. That's Witness religion.
Pick up an apple. Drop it three times. Watch apple fall three times....that's one bruised apple
Set apple on table and wait for it to float to the ceiling.......your house is under water
Set apple on table and wait for apple to turn into a Buick.....you have david copperfield staying with you
Well, there's no way I can top Ninja Science! lol!
Anyway, ever since I was a child I loved astronomy. It's pretty fascinating stuff. Get yourself a telescope or some good binoculars, a star chart, and a beginners guide to astronomy.
Dave
Which branch interests you the most? If you are interested in stars and planets, the history of the universe, etc, then you must watch the PBS series "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan. Its available on VHS and DVD for purchase from places like Amazon, or even to borrow from many libraries. "Cosmos" also touches on other branches of science, including biology, genetics, ancient history, evolution, atomic physics, however it deals with these in a very approachable manner. Highly recommended!
