This i assume is at Univ.Calif. Berkeley where he (Dr. Tim White) teaches. It boggles my mind that this student has no clue what a theory is and is going to U.C. Berkeley. You have to be pretty bright to get into that school.
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/rankings

owned... but nicely. Respectfully. I like that.

I would hazard a guess that she's not actually a student in this class (possibly not even at the school), but is, at best, 'auditing' the class, and more likely just sitting in on a lecture that's open to all students (and maybe the public) because he's got all those replica skulls there as a presentation, which makes this look like it's not a normal class presentation. I sat in on a number of 'classes' like this when I was 12-13, and even was allowed (indeed encouraged) to participate in the discussions...but I knew more about science than this woman did even at that age, so it's not as outrageous as it sounds.

If I'm wrong, and that is really the level of education required to be a science student at Berkeley these days, we are totally screwed as a nation and the only smart move left is to move to New Zealand. Actually, that's a good move no matter what!

Oh, she knows... she is just afraid of the fires of hell.

I can think of one prominent neurosurgeon running for office that doesn't understand evolution...

Anyway. Seems mean to judge her. Perhaps she comes from a religious background and never had the benefit of a good science education earlier in her life. What better way to challenge our own understanding by attending a lecture and asking questions? If America has enough people brave enough to ask the questions and with enough humility to listen to the answers they are given then perhaps you can hold off on moving to NZ for the moment.

Yes, and I still can't understand how someone can possibly be a doctor and still hold the naïve beliefs he holds.

Perhaps it is mean to judge her, but I think she wasn't actually asking a question, but she was regurgitating a specific phrasing of a statement as a question, right?
"Why should we base the validity of all of our life's beliefs on a theory?" by which she really means 'We should not base our beliefs on an unproven theory, we should defer to the 'proof' of the bible'...at least that's how I hear it, because I've heard it before and that's what was meant.
First, it more than implies that we all hold immutable 'beliefs', rather than fluid ideas, and second it conflates "scientific theory" with the English word "theory", showing a complete lack of understanding (or more often the case, an intentional misstatement and/or intentional conflagration of disparate terms) of science and it's processes and terminology.
If I thought she was actually ASKING, rather than just slightly rudely interjecting her incredulity in the form of a 'question', I would agree with you. I wish more people would actually ask this kind of question. Sadly, I've seen this all too often, and invariably those asking this 'question' aren't listening to the answer, because this 'question' is their answer.

Unfortunately, I'm not rich enough, or able enough (twice broken back) to qualify to immigrate to NZ (although I am trained in the correct field, welding, to qualify the last time I looked). If I was qualified and could convince the wife, I can see no reason not to move there tomorrow, even if all Americans got their act together tonight. Have you seen NZ?!?

I always love the awkward look on people's face when they think they are being smart or clever and are "totally going to show someone up when they ask this question" and then they sit there all awkward and are internally crying or raging as it just didn't go they way they thought it would at all.

I've been there

Right, and I agree that is how she comes across. I just think the Profs answer was textbook. If she was really just making a statement disguised as a question then you lose nothing by attacking the arguments as if they were asked in all sincerity. Well, apart from time, but I'm assuming this lecture was not for science students. If it was, then my god woman, go away and read the book, this is a lecture for people who have read at least some of the literature etc.

ps. I've not been to NZ no, but I'd love to visit one day just to see Minas Tirith and to ride a Giant Eagle (I've heard they can be pretty picky about where they will and won't take you though...).

The fires of hell are scary, man.

I had this youth councilor way back in high school tell me that the only movies that are scary are those that could be real. You know, like Hellraiser, Exocist, Rosemary's Baby, The Omen, Event Horizon. You know the REAL shit.

and Poltergeist!

@newtboy - It's so hard to get into New Zealand.

This is education in action. We're all ignorant when young.

What would we be creating if our instructors had a modicum of the scorn reflected for this woman here? We would never educate anyone brave enough to open up about their ignorance or challenge any beliefs.

Everyone with questions and alternative beliefs needs to partake in this kind of discourse. This right here is the solution to disparate, incompatible cultures, beliefs, war, etc.

On a related note - an interesting article from Slate written by a University of Kentucky professor who teaches biology (and evolution) to non-biology majors:
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/03/teaching_human_evolution_at_the_university_of_kentucky_there_are_some_students.2.html

The "scorn reflected here" is most properly directed at those who brainwashed this young woman into believing a mythology appropriate to a bronze-age culture. Her parents, most likely, chose to indoctrinate her with these unsupportable beliefs, and in so doing, have made it virtually impossible for her to get a real education and to be a productive member of a technological society.

It was child-abuse, pure and simple.

Her parents are definitely deserving of that scorn, but at some point you have to take responsibility for your own beliefs.

She's not a child anymore, she's at university. At that point, it is assumed that you have a reasonable grasp of the basics in whatever you're studying. You can question things you don't understand, but there's a limit. You wouldn't go into a physics lecture and start disputing Newtons laws (on a macro scale).

Wouldn't it be wonderful if, in a few years time, she can look back at this and say "that was the point where I started to question my beliefs"?

I'm not sure I'd say that anyone at a university cannot be a child. In many cases, 18-20 year olds -are- children...especially if they've been subject to such conditioning as she appears to have had. Yes, she should be challenging the dogma she was taught, but I've no personal idea how difficult that is do conceive of, much less to do. Do you? That's not an accusation, but an honest question. My parent's raised me to question everything and to make decisions based on evidence. I've got no way to even estimate how difficult it would be to break out of the opposite sort of training. I can't imagine it would take less than an extreme effort.

Fully agree on the last point...I'd love to think she'll start thinking for herself, and that this might even have been the turning point. The prof was far kinder and gentler than I could have been (my frustration would have shown quite clearly), and it'd be nice to think that will pay off in the long run.

Well, I was raised Catholic and even though my parents weren't particularly devout, I absolutely believed in god up to my early teens. I even went to a Jesuit high school.

I won't pretend that I had some massively traumatic "coming out" as an atheist over the next few years, but it still had its challenges. Ireland in the 90s was still a very Catholic country.

So yeah, if she grew up in some super evangelist home, it would be very difficult. But some things are difficult and you still have to do them.

*controversy

Adding video to channels (Controversy) - requested by MrFisk.

I disagree to some extent. She seemed to have found the achelies' heel of the argument (she did not actually find it btw) and went with that. Statement rather than a question? Absolutely. He handled it well though, and more discussions need to be had like this as you say.

Don't ask him about personal stuff @Stormsinger

Just kidding. Had to.

And @lv_hunter, she asked a creationist question but is she a student of creationism? I assume there are schools like that, backward places that have no credentials, but it would be nice to know so in order to get her intent. If you are unsure could you change the name of the video to better reflect that she is simply asking a question and not officially a student as stated?

I wont change it since its a slight change from the title of the video on youtube. I'm unsure, but it wont change my position on the title.

I thought your title was fine.
It indicated to me that she was a creationist, and a student, not necessarily a student of creationism....although to be perfectly honest, there's no firm 'proof' of either. It's POSSIBLE she's neither a student (and is just sitting in on the lecture) or a creationist (and is only asking the 'question' to give the professor a reason to discuss and rebuke it), but I think it's fine to make the assumption(s) she is both unless either is shown to be wrong.