HPS100H1 2015F: Introduction to History and Philosophy of Science – Online
Essay Topic 1: Cryptozoology
Case: You are a famous science expert. Recently, the Government Funding Commission has
made the following announcement.
Question: Do you agree or disagree with this decision? Do you find the underlying
reasoning convincing? Explain your position in a letter to the Government Funding
Commission or the Minister of Education.
Government Funding Commission: Announcement
Following the proposal of the minister of education, Dr. P. M. Balliol, to introduce
cryptozoology in universities, the Government Funding Commission (GFC) has recently
updated its list of supported fields and now provides support for BSc and MSc degrees in
cryptozoology. Below is an extract from the letter of Dr. E. Nescius, the deputy secretary of
GFC.
“Dear Sir/Madam,
In its meeting held on September 14th, the Government Funding Commission considered
the proposal for establishing several Departments of Cryptozoology in universities
throughout the country and decided that
“...there is an urgent need to galvanize the science of Cryptozoology
in our country, to allow this scientific knowledge to reach the society
at large and to ensure Canada remains on the cutting edge in global
scientific research. Rare, mysterious large creatures (cryptids) have
been reported to exist across the planet for centuries, from the Loch
Ness monster in Scotland, to the Yeti in Nepal, to the Sasquatch that
almost certainly live hidden in our own Canadian wilderness. While
recent studies have dismissed evidence of Bigfoot and other cryptids
(Sykes et al. 2014), the sheer volume of anecdotal evidence for the
existence of these creatures, and their presence in countless cultures’
mythologies, is enough to warrant dedicated university-level
Essay Topic 1: Cryptozoology
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HPS100H1 2015F: Introduction to History and Philosophy of Science – Online
research. Thus, the Commission decided to approve and encourage
the creation of Departments of Cryptozoology in universities. These
would provide teaching and training in the subject and the awarding
of
certificates,
diplomas
and
degrees
(both
graduate
and
undergraduate) in cryptozoology. Having official status as a science
in the Academy, these departments would also be recipients of
government funding for scientific research.”
Accordingly, the Commission constituted a Committee to examine the details of the
proposed scheme. The guidelines drafted by the Committee were placed before the
Commission in its meeting held on October 22nd. The Commission approved the guidelines
and decided that cryptozoology courses should be prefixed as CZL. It is strongly suggested
that an introductory course in cryptozoology, CZL100, be offered in every major university.
The universities who are in a position to start offering cryptozoology courses in the fall of
2016 are requested to submit their proposals to GFC by April 1st, 2016, at the latest.
With regards,
Dr. Ernest Nescius, PhD
Deputy Secretary
Government Funding Commission
Paper Cited:
•
Bryan C. Sykes, Rhettman A. Mullis, Christophe Hagenmuller, Terry W. Melton,
Michel Sartori. Genetic analysis of hair samples attributed to yeti, bigfoot and other
anomalous primates. Proc. R. Soc. B 2014 281 20140161; DOI:
10.1098/rspb.2014.0161. Published 2 July 2014
Essay Topic 1: Cryptozoology
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