Science Education
jlynch | February 23, 2009There’s a petition and statement going around regarding HF 183 for Iowa academics to sign. The text reads:
We, the undersigned members of institutions of higher learning in Iowa, urge our legislators to reject passage of "The Evolution Academic Freedom Act" (HF 183) introduced by Rod Roberts (R-Carroll). The language of this bill comes primarily from the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, which has conducted lobbying efforts and political activism against the teaching of evolution since 1994.
Evolution is as established a scientific theory as any other theory in science. It is misleading to…
clock | February 19, 2009Miss Baker and two of her students, Erik and Brandon, who you have met at ScienceOnline'09, appeared on a New Hampshire NPR affiliate station today - you can (and really should!) listen to the entire segment here.
Also see their blog post about it, some pictures from the studio, and how nervous they were just before the show started.
jlynch | February 17, 2009 No sooner than Oklahoma’s SB 320 gets axed than we find out about another “academic freedom”/”strengths and weaknesses” bill. This time it’s Missouri HB 656 introduced on Feb 10th. As NCSE reports, Robert Wayne Cooper (R-District 155), the chief sponsor, has a history of wasting time introducing pro-creationism bills.
So the current state of play for 2009 is:
Mississippi - dead in committee
Oklahoma - dead in committee
New Mexico - in committee
Iowa - in committee
Alabama - in committee.
Missouri - in committee
Texas - at state board
Florida - looks like there's to be a "teach…
gregladen | February 16, 2009So Amanda and I arrive at some public building in a largish Midwestern city. I'm a scientist, here to sit on a panel for a public discussion related to science and education. The building, a library, is not open yet but is scheduled to open in a few minutes. There are two groups of people standing in the flurries and chilly wind waiting for opening. The larger group is pressed against the door, seemingly anxious, and I (incorrectly, it turns out) attribute this anxiety to the cold. I'm thinking they want to go inside because it is cold. All but two people in this group are brown to dark…
jlynch | February 16, 2009I had received the news that Oklahoma SB 320 died in committee whilst at the Will Rogers airport heading home. I tried to post some details using my phone but that clearly didn't work. In the comments section Vic provides the details.
This means the state of the nation currently is:
Mississippi - disclaimer - dead in committee
Oklahoma - “strengths and weaknesses” - dead in committee
New Mexico - “strengths and weaknesses” - in committee
Iowa - “academic freedom” - in committee
Alabama - “academic freedom” - in committee.
Texas - "strengths and weaknesses" - at state board
Florida -…
gregladen | February 16, 2009So, yesterday Afternoon, there was a meeting of the Minnesota Atheists that included a one hour panel discussion of evolution, creationism, science education, and so on. The panel was moderated by Lynn Fellman, and included (in order from right to left as the audience gazed on) Randy Moore, Sehoya Cotner, Jane Phillips, Greg Laden, and PZ Myers.
There were several ways in which this discussion was interesting, and I'll tell you a few of them here. Presumably PZ will have something as well. (UPDATE: PZ has this.)
To begin with, this was a pretty full room (a hundred or so?) and almost…
jlynch | February 13, 2009
More here. My gut feeling is that an improvement in general science education in this country could swing many of the âno opinionâ folks towards evolution.
clock | February 10, 2009This will be on the campus of UNC Wilmington and I'll do my best to be there if possible:
Darwin's Legacy: Evolution's Impact on Science and Culture
March 19-21, 2009
UNCW's Evolution Learning Community will be hosting "Darwin's Legacy: Evolution's Impact on Science and Culture," a multidisciplinary student conference on March 19-21, 2009.
The conference will be a unique opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students in the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities and arts who are conducting research or creative endeavors related to evolution to present their research, investigate…
clock | February 10, 2009Remember a couple of weeks ago, when I complained that Triangle is too narrow a term for a Hub at Nature Network, as there is really no humongous city where everything is centered but the science is distributed all around the state of North Carolina, with people collaborating with each other and traveling back and forth between various regions of the state.
Well, now, to reflect that situation, the Triangle group on Nature Network was renamed the North Carolina group. If it grows in size, it may one day become a proper Hub. So, if you are in any way interested in science and live anywhere in…
clock | February 9, 2009
As you may remember, this week we have a special guest here in the Triangle - Carl Zimmer is coming to enjoy NC BBQ and, since he's already here on the 12th, to give the Darwin Day talk at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh (directions):
"Darwin and Beyond: How Evolution Is Evolving"
February 12, 2009
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Please join us for a Darwin Day presentation by Carl Zimmer. Mr. Zimmer is well known for his popular science writing, particularly his work on evolution. He has published several books including Soul Made Flesh, a history of the brain, Evolution: The…
jlynch | February 6, 2009No sooner that I posted the current status of anti-evolution legislation that Glenn Branch posted on a new “academic freedom” bill in Alabama. HB 300 is sponsored by Republican (seeing a trend here?) David Grimes and has been sent to committee. Unsurprisingly, it’s the same old DI boilerplate that is popping up everywhere.
So the field of play for 2009 now looks like:
Mississippi - disclaimer - dead in committee
New Mexico - “strengths and weaknesses” - in committee
Iowa - “academic freedom” - in committee
Oklahoma - “strengths and weaknesses” - in committee
Alabama - “academic freedom…
clock | February 6, 2009This month's Science Cafe (description below) will be held on February 17th at The Irregardless Cafe. We will be meeting Dr. Yvette Cook from the Rex Hospital Sleep Disorders Clinic. She will be talking with us about sleep patterns and why people may have trouble getting a good night's sleep. I have attached an article Dr. Cook recently wrote for a Rex Healthcare newsletter that you may find of interest. I hope that many of you can come - it should be a very interesting and informative discussion.
Sleep and Sleep Disorders
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
6:30-8:30 pm with discussion beginning…
jlynch | February 6, 2009The NCSE is reporting that the Mississippi Disclaimer Bill has died in committee, leaving Alabama as the only state with a disclaimer on biology textbooks. Apparently the bill’s sponsor, Gary Chism (R-Distinct 37) is considering “drafting another bill next year supporting the teaching of the strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory in public school classrooms.” I’m sure the Discovery Institute would be happy to help him.
So the current status of anti-evolution legislation in 2009 is:
Mississippi - disclaimer - dead in committee
New Mexico - “strengths and weaknesses” - in committee…
jlynch | February 5, 2009Another “academic freedom” bill, this time in Iowa. Those little beavers over at the DI have been busy over the past few months apparently. The "Evolution Academic Freedom Act" (HF 183; “A bill for an act relating to the teaching of chemical and biological evolution in school districts and public postsecondary institutions and providing an effective date”) has been sent to the House Education Committee and is startlingly familiar:
Students at all levels “shall be evaluated based upon their understanding of course materials through standard testing procedures. However, students shall not be…
clock | February 5, 2009Scientific American podcast for February 4th, 2009:
Scientific American Editor in Chief John Rennie talks about the content of the February issue, including naked singularities and the greenhouse hamburger. N.Y.U. journalism professor Jay Rosen discusses social media. Plus, we'll test your knowledge about some recent science in the news. Web sites related to this episode include www.sciam.com/sciammag; journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink
jlynch | February 3, 2009NCSE is reporting that a “strengths and weaknesses” bill is on the table in New Mexico. It’s your typical “academic freedom” bill that the DI has been shilling for a while now:
The department, school district governing authorities and school administrators shall not prohibit any teacher, when biological evolution or chemical evolution is being taught in accordance with adopted standards and curricula, from informing students about relevant scientific information regarding either the scientific strengths or scientific weaknesses pertaining to biological evolution or chemical evolution.
The…
clock | February 3, 2009From SCONC:
Even if you haven't heard of Bisphenol A (BPA), you've likely been exposed to it. The endocrine disrupting compound is common in plastic infant bottles, water bottles, food cans and lots of other products. Scientists debate its dangers but the National Toxicology Program (based in RTP) acknowledges BPA as a source of "some concern" due to its possible harm to the brains and behavior of fetuses, infants and children.
On Wed. Feb. 18, at noon, come hear NCSU assistant biology professor Heather Patisaul share what she's finding about BPA's potential permanent effects in a talk…
clock | February 2, 2009From the Regulator Bookshop:
Time: Tuesday, February 3, 2009 7:00 p.m.
Location: Regulator Bookshop
Title of Event: Rob Dunn
NCSU ecology professor Rob Dunn will discuss and sign copies of his new book, Every Living Thing: Man's Obsessive Quest to Catalog Life, from Nanobacteria to New Monkeys. Dunn, an engaging science popularizer, tells the exhilarating story of humanity's quest to discover everything about our natural world from the unimaginably small in the most inhospitable of places on earth to the unimaginably far away in the unexplored canals on Mars. For more information see the…
clock | January 31, 2009Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction by Eugenie C. Scott.
Written at this time.