29-June-2009, 06:32 PM
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Order of Kilopi
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,787
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Quote:
Originally Posted by parallaxicality
To say nothing of the fact that this competition, rather than asking children to examine and judge evidence on its own merits, begins with the a priori assumption that the unicorn does not exist and orders them to work from there, biasing the study with social pressure to reach a single conclusion. Also, proving that something does not exist is usually impossible, proving that something NEVER existed probably is impossible.
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I had the same thought, but I found this article in the Telegraph a while later that explains it in a bit more detail. I'm still a bit confused though. Maybe his purpose is to show that the prize cannot be won.
Quote:
The emphasis on critical thinking is epitomised by a test called the Invisible Unicorn Challenge. Children will be told by camp leaders that the area around their tents is inhabited by two unicorns. The activities of these creatures, of which there will be no physical evidence, will be regularly discussed by organisers, yet the children will be asked to prove that the unicorns do not exist.
Anyone who manages to prove this will win a £10 note - which features an image of Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary theory - signed by Dawkins, a former professor of the public understanding of science at Oxford University.
"The unicorns are not necessarily a metaphor for God, they are to show kids that you can't prove a negative," said Samantha Stein, who is leading next month's camp at the Mill on the Brue outdoor activity centre close to Bruton, Somerset.
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