Quote:
Originally Posted by madbadgalaxyman
And I read that our universities must now incorporate 'aboriginal knowledge' into all of their curricula, as this is thought to be every bit as true as scientific hypotheses.
(for instance, tribal cultures believe that sickness is not caused by material causes, but instead is invariably caused by witchcraft!!)
(furthermore, 'aboriginal knowledge' teaches that the landscape was made by creator spirits moving across the landscape rather than by geological processes!!)
It is no wonder that many people today are totally confused about what is real and what is not!!!
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I can state categorically that at the University of Wollongong 'aboriginal knowledge' regarding the shaping of the land is not taught as part of any science course. I can say that as a past student, past teacher and current staff member. Ditto with creation/evolution of life and the cause of illness. If any Uni is teaching these beliefs as part of any science course you could knock me over with a feather. There are certainly researchers who gather traditional knowledge of environmental management (I don't imagine anyone thinks they have all the answers but they have been watching and manipulating the place for a long time), traditional medicines etc. One thing that is taught at undergrad level is the debate about aboriginal influence on the landscape (eg fire-stick farming, overkill as the cause of the megafauna extinction) but there is nothing 'special' about that. If we were in Europe it would be appropriate to talk about the human alteration of that continent. I have many concerns about the way science is taught but this isn't one of them.