Colloquy

Mickey and his pal Plutoid just doesn’t sound quite right, but I’ll get used to it.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has been trying to decide on a name for transneptunian dwarf planets-like Pluto-, and decided on plutoid.

International Astronomical Union (IAU)

Plutoids are celestial bodies in orbit around the Sun at a distance greater than that of Neptune that have sufficient mass for their self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that they assume a hydrostatic equilibrium (near-spherical) shape, and that have not cleared the neighbourhood around their orbit. The two known and named plutoids are Pluto and Eris. It is expected that more plutoids will be named as science progresses and new discoveries are made.

My guess is that this name change is going to be used as more “proof” for creationists that the theory of evolution is “faulty” .

Others said evolution is a flawed theory and should not be taught as a “dogmatic fact” without leaving the possibility open that other theories may be true.

Northwest St. Johns County education activist (*** *******), who has led a charge to build awareness about the proposed standards, told the group she wasn’t asking schools to teach alternate theories. But she said schools should include the flaws of the theory when teaching about it.

“I agree that evolution is the underlying principle in biology,” she said. “I want you to continue to teach evolution, but with both its faults and supports.”

She pointed out that, when she and many audience members were in grade school, they were taught that Pluto was a planet. Science has since disproved that.

SHeeeeesh!