On 1/19/07, Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com wrote:
Problem is that applies to almost any given subject. People do no say "I am not a chemist" even though I can probably find an exception to almost any stamtent about chemisty made by someone without a degree.
Try listening to secondary (high) school Chemistry teachers... they have degrees and still teach complete rubbish most of the time. I can understand teaching things slightly simplified, but teaching something which is actually outright wrong in the name of simplicity is just crazy.
Actually, teachers often teach what they believe to be correct. Most people forget as much as they remember of their undergraduate classes - when they set out to teach they go with what the textbook says. And even then, they may have misconceptions.
Chemistry teachers (at least in the US) are likely to be science education majors rather than chemistry majors. And even chemistry majors don't know whole swathes of the subject matter...they took the classes that they were required to take for the major. They probably had very few forays into the primary literature, and don't really understand how their science works.