To explain something they observe, scientists often begin with a hypothesis—their best guess about why and how it occurs. Sometimes a new hypothesis generates a lot of controversy, especially in the early stages of being tested. A central question in both the history of science and our everyday lives is when should people accept new ideas? Plate tectonics provides a great case study. The original theory met stiff resistance within the scientific community, but over time, became widely accepted. Today, we’ll retrace the steps of Alfred Wegener’s continental-drift hypothesis—from widespread rejection to widespread acceptance.
Driving Question: How and why do theories become generally accepted?
- I’m sure you’ve seen some new gadget or gizmo pop up in an ad on TV or social media. Maybe it's some clever (but impractical and wildly expensive) new kitchen pan you saw on a Kickstarter campaign, or Elon Musk’s latest new invention. Most of these wild ideas are just that—ideas. Society hasn’t fully embraced them yet. I love the idea that we might all be driving environmentally friendly vehicles one day, but I’m definitely not hustling out to buy a Tesla! When should we believe a new idea? At what point does it become credible and warranted?
Word of the Day: Continental Drift
- Definition: The idea that the Earth's continents move in relation to each other, so that continents currently separated by oceans were joined together in the past.
- The theory of plate tectonics that we learned about yesterday explains why continental drift occurs.
Lesson
- Go to Khan Academy and read the article “Alfred Wegener and Harry Hess.”
- This article presents the lives and discoveries of two key figures in 20th century geology, Alfred Wegener and Harry Hess. The theory of plate tectonics proposed first by Wegener met stiff resistance. It wasn’t until Hess came along later that scientific confidence solidified around the idea. As you read, think about how the controversial theory of plate tectonics eventually became widely accepted by the science community and society.
Historian’s Journal Prompt
- Why can’t we get this social distancing thing right?
- Responses to the coronavirus pandemic vary significantly from country to country, and even from state to state here within the US. It seems within every country in the world, some people are doing better at social distancing than others. I was checking out my home state, Iowa, on this Social Distancing Scoreboard, and it turns out, we’re not doing so hot. Why can’t we seem to follow the rules? What is it that makes this social distancing “theory” so hard to accept?
