I need some help, advice…something. Here’s my scenario: My son (12) came home from school a few weeks ago and casually mentioned that his 6th grade science teacher had told them these two interesting ‘facts.’
Scientists believe that eventually humans will grow another finger on the pinky side. They believe this because of the bone structure there.
Scientists believe that eventually human ears will disappear. They believe this because human ears are smaller now than in the past.
Okay, first thing’s first. This all sounds slightly suspicious to me–and I know that kids can misinterpret things or mishear them–so I ask my son if he’s got it straight. He swears he does–this means nothing, he still may have it wrong. When he asks for my response to these interesting facts, I ask him where his teacher got them? I throw in a smart ass comment (Did he get those in the grocery store, off the magazine next to the one with the man who gave birth to twins?). I shouldn’t have been nasty. I’m sorry for that.
Here is my real problem. When my son told his teacher that I made that comment (which I am sorry for making), the teacher responded that he understood that I didn’t believe him–most people don’t. Okay…so, where DID he get his information?
According to my son, this teacher never gave the source for these ‘facts.’ So I ask my son to find out. Because by now, I couldn’t care less if they are true or not–I just want to know WHERE he got them. My son asks. His response? From a science book.
AAARRRGGGHHH!!! WHAT SCIENCE BOOK?
Do I let this drop? I can’t. Am I being a pain in the a**? Of course I am. Am I teaching my son to be a skeptic? I don’t know.
So, what would you do?
Well, I thought there was a genetic case where you could be born with 6 fingers/toes. I seem to remember being told it was the dominant gene too. I saw a guy on Spin City once with 6 fingers too (some Pig contest that James guy was doing). Though the guy on Princess Bride wasn’t really six-fingered.
And if we didn’t have ears, what would be have? Just holes going straight in?
I doubt those are facts, but merely guesses based on certain patterns seen throughout evolution.
How does one “grow” a sixth finger? No person has ever been known to spontaneously “grow” an appendage.
Hiya, struuter. I think you’re right to question the information your son’s teacher is passing along, particularly when the info is this weird.
Just to point something out – the shape of the ear serves a definite function. It channels sound in toward the tympanic membrane. If the external ear were to disappear evolutionally, it would mean we weren’t using speech to communicate as much, or that we didn’t need to hear potential threats approaching. I don’t see either of these things happening. Unless, of course, the science teacher is claiming we’ll only interact with each other via computers and never go outside anymore.
Based on what I’ve read, I too believe that someday the majority of humans will have a sixth finger. Don’t worry about when. Your grandchildren’s grandchildren won’t even have to worry about it.
Though small in number, the mutation that allows a sixth finger is a dominant gene. This means that if enough people find six fingered humans attractive, six fingered babies will keep multiplying, taking over the world (insert demonical laughter).
One of the reasons you don’t see that many six fingered people around is that a good deal of parents have the extra finger surgically removed shortly after they’re born rather than let the child grow up with the “stigma” of eleven (or 12) fingers.
ALWAYS know the source of your information! We’ve been teaching our daughter this. Hubby is TRYING to teach idiot coworker the same thing (C: “Senator Schmuck is a lying, puppy-kicking crook” H: “Why do you say that?” C: “He just is!” H: comes home and bitches to me about idiot associate)
But I digress. One should always know the source of “facts” and it’s not disrespectful to question this. A person who cannot back up their declarations is little more than a rumor-monger when you come right down to it. (Note - that’s an opinion, not a fact, so I don’t hafta back it up!! )
Sauron, Enderw23–
Thanks for your information. I think that both of these subjects are interesting to contemplate and study–and I guess it’s the Doper in me shouting “Cite your source!”
And I want my son to have a more discerning ear to these things. I mean, isn’t that the point of education? To inspire kids to go a step further and look into things themselves?
I agree with most people’s opinion that you should find out where this < judgemental>kook</judgemental> got his info. However, I’m a little more reserved on the issue of questioning teachers. Certainly kids should show some skepticism, but if you over-encourage them questioning what’s being taught, the classroom can quickly devolve into nothing more than constant challenges to the teacher, for no reason other than entertainment.
In summary - skepticism=good, but all things in moderation.
doc, amen to that. I’ve been present in those unfortunate situations where teachers are picked apart by wise acres who want nothing more than to waste class time and bore holes into educators’ class control.
I don’t want my son to be like that.
But I do want him to have confidence in his teachers. And to feel comfortable in respectfully asking them for more information.
Truth is, I like this teacher. I like the fact that he wants the kids to have interesting thoughts to chew on.
I am the monster of computing class cause I cant hold myself back from telling my half witted teacher that she couldnt tell a computer from cow-shit.
(honestly: she told us the printer would explode if we all d press the print button at the same time - and she was not joking)
Also my French teacher insists on correcting our German (the native language spoken here) - she grew up in France and doesnt know shit about German grammar - so she “corrects” tons of mistakes into our books.
Can’t comment on the ear thing, but I’ve been told that a 6th finger is more common in people of asian heritage. A coworker and her husband are both hawaiian, of japanese background. One of their sons was born with a 6th finger. They had it surgically removed soon after birth, but I think that on her desk there’s a picture of the baby with the extra finger. I’ll try to remember to look the next time I’m in her office.
She was the one that told me that asian babies have this more often than those of european extract. Can anyone confirm this?
Well, first off, these aren’t “facts.” Scientists in general believe no such things.
As for the first item: the first critters to walk on land had multiple fingers and toes. Over time, the number was reduced to the patterns we find today (specifically, many mammals have five fingers and five toes, unless it’s a herbivore, in which case the fingers and toes have fused into one or two). The genes to produce multiple digits still exist, however they are ‘shut off’, or otherwise regulated. Occassionally, a developmental glitch will occur and the genes will not be properly shut off, and polydactyly results (as an interesting example, Napolean’s horse had three toes on each hind foot). There is, however, no reason to expect that humans will eventually have six fingers on each hand. Large populations tend to mute any such significant changes in form.
As for the second: huh? Unless we have perfectly preserved mummies of early humans (and I don’t mean Egyptian pharoahs - way earlier), that is an unfounded claim. Ears (the external part, anyway) typically don’t get fossilized.
As for the teacher, have you questioned him personally about his source? He may feel that whatever “science book” he got this information from was over your son’s head, so chose not to divulge the name of it. Then again, maybe it’s his own pet theory (remember, most people don’t believe him), and doesn’t wish to admit to it.
If he questions you as to why you wish to know, you can tell him your sources indicate otherwise
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