Creationists, Cosmos, and the Balance Trap

I’ve enjoyed watching the new Cosmos show-an updated version of Carl Sagan’s classic.  The astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts the new show.  As I watched one show, I thought to myself “wow, this really exposes the intellectual bankruptcy of those (including some prominent elected officials, like U.S. Rep. Paul Broun), who describe themselves as “young Earth” creationists.”  Sure enough, creationists are complaining that Cosmos is biased because it provides no time for creationists to make their case.

I have written before about the “balance trap”, the false idea that there are two sides to everything.  Of course, sometimes there aren’t.  As Tyson points out, it would be absurd to have to give equal time to people who believe the earth is flat whenever you talk about the earth’s spherical nature.  It would be equally absurd to give creationists equal time when one discusses evolution.