Intelligent Design
gregladen | May 27, 2009Eugenie Scott, head of the National Center for Science Education, has been awarded the Stephen Jay Gould Prize. From the press release:
OAKLAND, CA March 27
The Society for the Study of Evolution has honored NCSE's executive director with its first Stephen Jay Gould Prize. Named in memory of paleontologist and popular science writer Stephen Jay Gould, this award recognizes outstanding work in communicating the insights, applications, and importance of evolutionary biology to the general public.
"Dr. Scott has devoted her life to advancing public understanding of evolution. As the…
gregladen | May 27, 2009This just in:
Dear Greg,
We are excited about our new public service campaign and it should be fully implemented within a month. Here's the scoop:
This Thursday, May 28th, we will be at a local high school to
tape 3 presentations that will cover the following topics:
- Fossil Evidence
- The Truth about Genetics and Evolution
- How Does Evolution Supposedly Work?
Because most students respond better to interactive forms of learning, we have decided to offer free downloads of these videos as well as the supporting documentation for each of them.
Depending on future funding, we will be…
gregladen | May 20, 2009... tbooks. (get it?)
Josh Rosenau, of the National Center for Science Education, has a piece in Seed online:
The National Center for Science Education, in Oakland, CA, where I work, has tracked hundreds of attacks on evolution education in 48 states in the last five years. In the last two years alone, 18 bills in 10 states have targeted the teaching of evolution. These bills, like the flawed science standards approved by the Texas Board of Education in March, don't ban evolution outright. But they do authorize teachers to omit evolution or include creationism at their whim. "These bills…
gregladen | May 20, 2009It's hard to stand up to brilliant people!
This guy is OTT. I was waiting for him to explode the whole time. Ouch ouch ouch ouch. My brain hurts now.
gregladen | May 6, 2009It's just too much of a leap! But don't worry, Texas Educators have it under control.
I love the way she says Jump, like with two syllables. Good thing the slack jawed yokels are in charge down in Texas. We would not really want Texans to stop being as stoopid as they'all are, they would not be as cute!!!!
gregladen | May 6, 2009... according to Texas education experts.
Of course, everyone in Texas is a moron. Apparently.
gregladen | May 3, 2009The podcast for today's radio discussion with Fellman, Scott and Laden is available.
A bit about the history of the NCSE; cultural relativism in the science education movement; Greg disses bench scientists again; The appeasement question; A phone call from a famous Pharyngulistum; Science standards; Local control. The Minnesota Science Standards. An intelligently designed buffet and the question of "alternative curriculum."
Go listen, and come back and comment.
gregladen | May 3, 2009... In public schools. According to one Federal Judge in the US, not much.
A Mission Viejo high school history teacher violated the First Amendment by disparaging Christians during a classroom lecture, a federal judge ruled today.
James Corbett, a 20-year teacher at Capistrano Valley High School, referred to Creationism as "religious, superstitious nonsense" during a 2007 classroom lecture, denigrating his former Advanced Placement European history student, Chad Farnan.
The decision is the culmination of a 16-month legal battle between Corbett and Farnan - a conflict the judge said…
gregladen | April 23, 2009Next time I get down on you slack-jawed yokels in Texas, which could be any time, I don't want to hear any flack. No excuses. You can take my critique in the gut and live with it OR you can tell me to stuff it. But the latter is only an option if you get off your bovine Texas asses and do what you need to do.
State Board of Education Chairman Don McLeroy, R-Bryan, faced searing questioning during his uncommonly long confirmation hearing Wednesday at the Senate Nominations Committee.
And Chairman Mike Jackson, R-La Porte, said McLeroy's nomination is on shaky ground because he might not be…
gregladen | April 23, 2009I just received a very threatening email from Dave Mabus. Dave is a christian who is rabidly anti atheist. As a person he is about as pleasant as a bad rash and as an intellect he makes a walnut look smart. Very few people send me truly threatening emails and get away with it for long. Remember the Turkish Spammers? I took care of them right good, didn't I. (Details will not be forthcoming ... just notice that they are not around here any more.) And I'd take care of Dave as well, except for one very important detail. He wasn't threatening me, he was threatening my friend and colleague…
gregladen | April 16, 2009"Just in time for the bicentennial observance of Charles Darwin's birth, a new survey of Louisiana residents shows 40 percent of the respondents believe evolution is not well-supported by evidence or generally accepted within the scientific community," the Baton Rouge Advocate (April 14, 2009) reports. The Louisiana Survey, sponsored by the Manship School of Mass Communication's Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at Louisiana State University, asked (PDF), "Do you think the scientific theory of evolution is well supported by evidence and widely accepted within the scientific…
gregladen | March 27, 2009There is a poll on this page that you may be interested in participating in. Hint hint.
Right now the creationists are winning.
gregladen | March 25, 2009Over 50 scientific societies representing hundreds of thousands of American scientists today publicly urged the Texas Board of Education to support accurate science education....
From the National Center for Science Education
Over 50 scientific societies representing hundreds of thousands of American scientists today publicly urged the Texas Board of Education to support accurate science education. The board--dominated by creationists--has been embroiled in a debate over changes to the Texas science standards that could compromise the teaching of evolution.
"Evolution is the foundation of…
gregladen | March 24, 2009This just in from the NCSE:
The future of science education in Texas is on the line. The Texas Board of Education, after two previous contentious public hearings on high school science standards (TEKS), meets March 25-27 for its final vote.
As you may recall, at the previous meeting (January 23rd), the board voted to remove "strengths and weaknesses" wording from the science standards. That was a win for science. However, the Board took a big step backwards by allowing creationists to insert bogus attacks on evolution in the Earth and Space Science standards and the Biology standards…
gregladen | March 22, 2009
Leo Berman, Republican State Rep in Texas, has proposed a bill that would allow the Institute for Creation Research to issue advanced degrees in Creationism. The faux educational institution, which moved from California to Texas several years ago hoping to dupe the Texans into exactly this sort of idiotic thing, was previously denied this right by the proper regulatory agency. Berman's act is cynical, anti-democratic, and terribly embarrassing for all Texans.
There is a news report here:
A Texas legislator is waging a war of biblical proportions against the science and education…
gregladen | March 20, 2009This is why we love Genie Scott:
The NCSE now has a channel on You Tube, and at this time you can see most, probably all, of Genie's testimony in Texas. It is very instructive.
GENIE SCOTT IS A MACHINE!!!
Here you'll find reports from the evolution/creationism wars -- footage of contentious testimony, landmark and illuminating speeches, conference coverage, excerpts from television appearances, and presentations. In the future, look for classroom videos, tutorials for teachers, videos contributed by NCSE members, and much more.
When you visit our YouTube channel, check out a couple of…
gregladen | March 13, 2009I just got this brief from Robert Luhn of the NCSE
Representative Leo Berman (Republican, District 6, Smith County) has just introduced HB 2800, which would exempt "certain private nonprofit educational institutions" from the rules other degree-granting schools must follow in Texas.
The aim, apparently, is to help the Institute for Creation Research's graduate school, which was denied state certification (a precursor to accreditation) when it moved to Texas. The ICR is a "Young Earth Creationist" organization that believes the Earth is 10,000 years old, Noah's flood really happened,…
gregladen | March 8, 2009Well, not ALL of you. Just the ones who also happen to be Scientists. Texans only, please. If you are not a Texan Scientist do not read this blog post.
The National Center for Science Education is asking Texas Scientists to contact the State Board of Education regarding the Proposed Texas Educational Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Amendments.
Find your SBOE member here.
You are being asked to write your State board of Education member regarding the TEKS amendments passed in Janurary, 2009.
In general, the amendments single out topics touching on evolution (including the age and…
gregladen | March 5, 2009... again ... This just in from the NCSE:
Antievolution law proposed in Florida
It's not a hurricane or even a tropical storm. But a small knot of ignorance is twisting through the Florida state senate.
Late last week, Stephen R. Wise (R-District 5) filed Senate Bill 2396, which if passed, would require "[a] thorough presentation and critical analysis of the scientific theory of evolution." Like other "academic freedom" bills that aim to smuggle creationism back into the classroom, this bill would let educators teach the supposed scientific controversy swirling around evolution.
"…
gregladen | March 4, 2009 A Texas-sized battle over scrapping a longtime requirement that Lone Star State students be taught weaknesses in the theory of evolution has split politicians, parents, and professors who teach biology at the state's Christian universities.
"I hope to reach others on the weightier matters of the Resurrection, hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven while I work out how evolution does not have to conflict with Christianity," said Daniel Brannan, a biology professor at Abilene Christian University.
Brannan joined hundreds of scientists in signing a 21st Century Science Coalition…