The way the education system is set up in this society, we learn to be skeptical through our educational experiences with science, math, English, and history. It is not only science that teaches us to be skeptical through the use of the scientific method process. Carl Sagan argues that people should be more skeptical of things that cannot be proven, things for which there is no evidence, and that a way to do this is by learning the art of real science: a science that gives you empirical evidence for human existence and all the things that go with it.

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The threaded discussion below took place in October, 2010 (over email) at the initiative of one colleague seeking ideas from others. The focus began with the idea of challenging students' mental models and grew into a consideration of the question whether there is such a thing as unlearning (from the point of view of the brain, of human experience, and growth) and how the idea of unlearning signifies in various fields and endeavors.  In hopes of continuing and broadening participation in the conversation, we have moved it to Serendip and invite all interested to join.

From Alison, October 30:

“We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far” 

(Ron Edmonds, 1979)

paper located here