That is terrifying.

One of my wife's friends explained to me the way they teach science these days, where it is standard practice to guide the pupil towards finding his own answers through investigation and research.

"All well and good," I said, "but at some point you have to let the kid know that the earth truly does revolve around the sun."

"Well, that's the old way of thinking," she said.

"No, investigation is all well and good but they're kids," I countered. "Don't you think it's important to let them know when they've hit upon the scientifically-backed, expert-agreed reality of the situation?"

"It's more important to teach them how to find those answers themselves," she said.

"But what if they decide the sun revolves around the earth?"

"we would emphasize that they should investigate their sources fully in all instances."

"But if they've managed to find a bunch of crackpot evidence that supports their claims, aren't you going to tell them they're wrong?"

"It's important not to phrase the question in terms of right or wrong."

"The earth does revolve around the sun. There is a right and wrong here."

"And the student will determine that on their own when properly instructed."

"But proper instruction does not involve telling them when they've arrived at the wrong conclusion?"

"We would emphasize that there are many answers and that the student should make sure he's picked the right one."

"So you're rewarding certainty rather than accuracy."

"I wouldn't look at it that way."

"You're giving the student the opportunity to believe that the sun revolves around the earth simply because he wants it to be true. Isn't the whole point of 'instruction' to teach the kid how the world works?"

"The point of instruction is to teach the kid how to learn."

"Okay, great. But in this case, the kid needs to learn how to tell the right answer from the wrong answer."

"There's no right or wrong - "

"There is, though- okay, we'll skip that. So if the kid manages to find the page for the Flat Earth Society and take it at face value, are you going to instruct him in the ways of determining parody from fact?"

"I'm a science teacher, not a logic teacher."

"That refuses to teach kids how that the earth revolves around the sun."

"I don't refuse to teach them that, I refuse to tell them the way the world works."

* * *

Last time I talked to that bitch.