Ask a teacher on Summer Break

[Cecelia]

I tend to agree with Neil. A few years back a large multiyear study (I'll see if I can find it later today) was published. It concluded one of the problems with the US education system was we didn't spend any time teaching our children what is wrong with crap like flat Earth. What they basically said was that if we didn't want our kids to grow up believing irreducible complexity was is a valid topic for science class we should spend some time teaching them why it isn't. We don't. At least not in the public school system.

What you and Neil don't seem to understand is that facts do not dissuade the 'True Believer'.  You can lead a religious nut to facts, but you can't make them think.  Facts do not matter to some people.  This has nothing to do with our education system.  In fact sentiments like "our education system is failing' lead to the idea that facts don't matter.  It emboldens people to go against what they're taught in school, because they'd rather believe what they're taught in Church.   Because they love nothing more than for someone to agree with them that school is nothing more than indoctrination.  And that the facts they're taught in school are 'wrong'.  

Our education system is far from failing.  In fact it's been steadily improving.

The idea that flat earthers 'prove' that our education system is failing is pure ridiculous.  Especially seeing as many flat earthers are homeschooled, and the fact that there aren't that many in the first place.  

But let's look into this further.  Neil DeGrasse Tyson can't convince flat earthers that the earth isn't flat.  Why is this not HIS failing?  Surely as smart as he is, he'd be able to convince them.  To teach them, and make them see the error of their ways?  No?  How many flat earthers has he converted?  Surely as smart and educated as he is, he can convince them.  I mean education doesn't stop just because you're out of school. 

Do you like the cool students or the nerd students?

I like all--well most of my students.  The only ones I don't like are the mean ones (of which there are a few) and the brown nosers.