(Tier 1) Adventures in Christianist Earth Science Education XXXV: Wherein We Taste the Rainbow of Inanity

Can anything in Science of the Physical Creation’s unit on physics top their claim that our perception of color is a function of our souls? We can only hope.

(Content note: mentions of abuse and abusive behavior)

Unfortunately for connoisseurs of fine creationist crock, there are no shenanigans in the early bit of the next section, where they talk about the way light behaves. They do a really fine job explaining reflection. And we learn that paper doesn’t act like a mirror even though it reflects most of the light striking it because its roughness scatters the rays. Pretty neato! As I’ve said before, they’re super good at explaining science when they’re not indulging in creationist nonsense.

When it comes to refraction, they try a bit too hard to simplify: they say that “refracted light waves always bend toward the medium that slows them down.” But it’s more accurate to describe light as bending toward or away from the normal. Otherwise, they do a reasonable job explaining refraction, although with an inordinate focus on rainbows. We find out why when we reach the end: Continue reading “(Tier 1) Adventures in Christianist Earth Science Education XXXV: Wherein We Taste the Rainbow of Inanity”

(Tier 1) Adventures in Christianist Earth Science Education XXXV: Wherein We Taste the Rainbow of Inanity
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Adventures in Christianist Earth Science Education XXXIII: Wherein We See the Light

So. Physics.

Earth Science Fourth Edition and Science of the Physical Creation have a bit of crossover here, which we’ll eventually get to, but SPC covers the subject a lot more thoroughly. So, while we’re still bogged down in ES4’s interminable (and very, very wrong) chapters on Geology, we’ll see what the creationist textbook writers at A Beka have to say about physics.

We start with Chapter 14, “Light and Color.” I’m sure you can all guess which verse they use to get us going the godly way.

Of course. Continue reading “Adventures in Christianist Earth Science Education XXXIII: Wherein We See the Light”

Adventures in Christianist Earth Science Education XXXIII: Wherein We See the Light

The Geology of Fireworks

America is about to blow up a bunch of stuff for its 240th birthday. I love it! Who doesn’t love fireworks? Well, aside from animals like my childhood dog, who invariably hid under the bed in cowering terror. And people who have had enough of explosions to last them a lifetime. People who are triggered or kept awake by loud bangs. People who are phobic about fire. All right, so there’s a long list of people and other animals who don’t like fireworks. But hopefully, even if you can’t stand ’em, you’ll be able to enjoy the geology, chemistry, and physics of them. Continue reading “The Geology of Fireworks”

The Geology of Fireworks