One of the common refrains of the millions of people worldwide
who do not accept modern old-earth geology and evolutionary
biology is that while some portions of modern science may be
true, other portions, such as the notion that the earth and its
fossils are many millions of years old, are suspect if not
completely in error. In other words, many wish to pick and
choose, cafeteria-style, among the major precepts of modern
science, accepting some but rejecting others. For example, a
2010 Gallup poll found that while Americans in general are
accepting of science and technology, nonetheless 40% believe
that “God created humans in their present form within the last
10,000 years” [Newport2010]. In one respect, the “cafeteria”
approach is entirely reasonable, since some scientific theories
are much more firmly established than others. One example of
public scientific controversy is Homo floresiensis, the
remarkable hominin fossil more commonly known as the “hobbit”
due to its diminutive size, which remarkably co-ex