Whose “War” Is It, Anyway? Exposing Chris Mooney's Attack on Intelligent
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Ten Misunderstandings About Evolution a Very Brief Guide for the Curious and the Confused by Dr
Ten Misunderstandings About Evolution A Very Brief Guide for the Curious and the Confused By Dr. Mike Webster, Dept. of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University ([email protected]); February 2010 The current debate over evolution and “intelligent design” (ID) is being driven by a relatively small group of individuals who object to the theory of evolution for religious reasons. The debate is fueled, though, by misunderstandings on the part of the American public about what evolutionary biology is and what it says. These misunderstandings are exploited by proponents of ID, intentionally or not, and are often echoed in the media. In this booklet I briefly outline and explain 10 of the most common (and serious) misunderstandings. It is impossible to treat each point thoroughly in this limited space; I encourage you to read further on these topics and also by visiting the websites given on the resource sheet. In addition, I am happy to send a somewhat expanded version of this booklet to anybody who is interested – just send me an email to ask for one! What are the misunderstandings? 1. Evolution is progressive improvement of species Evolution, particularly human evolution, is often pictured in textbooks as a string of organisms marching in single file from “simple” organisms (usually a single celled organism or a monkey) on one side of the page and advancing to “complex” organisms on the opposite side of the page (almost invariably a human being). We have all seen this enduring image and likely have some version of it burned into our brains. -
Intelligent Design Creationism and the Constitution
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Washington University St. Louis: Open Scholarship Washington University Law Review Volume 83 Issue 1 2005 Is It Science Yet?: Intelligent Design Creationism and the Constitution Matthew J. Brauer Princeton University Barbara Forrest Southeastern Louisiana University Steven G. Gey Florida State University Follow this and additional works at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_lawreview Part of the Constitutional Law Commons, Education Law Commons, First Amendment Commons, Religion Law Commons, and the Science and Technology Law Commons Recommended Citation Matthew J. Brauer, Barbara Forrest, and Steven G. Gey, Is It Science Yet?: Intelligent Design Creationism and the Constitution, 83 WASH. U. L. Q. 1 (2005). Available at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_lawreview/vol83/iss1/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law School at Washington University Open Scholarship. It has been accepted for inclusion in Washington University Law Review by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Washington University Law Quarterly VOLUME 83 NUMBER 1 2005 IS IT SCIENCE YET?: INTELLIGENT DESIGN CREATIONISM AND THE CONSTITUTION MATTHEW J. BRAUER BARBARA FORREST STEVEN G. GEY* TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. -
The Case Against Intelligent Design
1 THE CASE AGAINST INTELLIGENT DESIGN. The Faith That Dare Not Speak Its Name by Jerry Coyne Post date: 08.11.05 Issue date: 08.22.05 Of Pandas and People By Percival Davis and Dean H. Kenyon (Haughton Publishing Company, 170 pp., $24.95) I. Exactly eighty years after the Scopes "monkey trial" in Dayton, Tennessee, history is about to repeat itself. In a courtroom in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in late September, scientists and creationists will square off about whether and how high school students in Dover, Pennsylvania will learn about biological evolution. One would have assumed that these battles were over, but that is to underestimate the fury (and the ingenuity) of creationists scorned. The Scopes trial of our day--Kitzmiller, et al v. Dover Area School District et al-- began innocuously. In the spring of 2004, the district's textbook review committee recommended that a new commercial text replace the outdated biology book. At a school board meeting in June, William Buckingham, the chair of the board's curriculum committee, complained that the proposed replacement book was "laced with Darwinism." After challenging the audience to trace its roots back to a monkey, he suggested that a more suitable textbook would include biblical theories of creation. When asked whether this might offend those of other faiths, Buckingham replied, "This country wasn't founded on Muslim beliefs or evolution. This country was founded on Christianity and our students should be taught as such." Defending his views a week later, Buckingham reportedly pleaded: "Two thousand years ago, someone died on a cross. -
Understanding the New Distributive Model of Evolution Instruction
JUDGING DARWIN: UNDERSTANDING THE NEW DISTRIBUTIVE MODEL OF EVOLUTION INSTRUCTION Louis J. Virelli III TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 82 II. THE EVOLUTION INSTRUCTION DEBATE ................................. 86 A. Religiously Explicit Policies ............................................. 89 B. Facially Neutral Challenges ............................................. 92 III. THE DISTRIBUTIVE MODEL ...................................................... 98 IV. THE DISTRIBUTIVE MODEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW ......... 106 A. Administrative Law Principles ....................................... 106 B. Administrative Features of the Distributive Model ...... 111 C. The Distributive Model and the Establishment Clause ............................................................................. 117 V. NEW ISSUES UNDER THE DISTRIBUTIVE MODEL .................... 123 A. Political Legitimacy ........................................................ 123 B. Additional Questions ..................................................... 132 1. Judicial Review ........................................................ 132 2. Delegation ............................................................... 136 a. Procedural Due Process ................................... 138 b. Municipal Liability and Qualified Immunity .. 141 VI. CONCLUSION .......................................................................... 143 Associate Professor of Law, Stetson University College of Law; J.D., -
Evolution Vs. Creationism: an Introduction of the Country Where There Is Still an Ongoing Dolphin Mysteries Is Awell-Written, Inter (2Nd Edition)
BOOK REVIEEWS ELIZABETHCOWLES, DEPARTMENT EDITOR $l gE i Sl Er [@ l l 13iE 1 !A of species presented) as well as notes to the text, a glossary, and a bibliography. Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction of the country where there is still an ongoing Dolphin Mysteries is awell-written, inter (2nd Edition). By Eugenie C. Scott. 2009. debate about restricting the teaching of evolu esting book on several levels. The authors' Greenwood Press. (ISBN 978-0-313-34427 tion. Luckily for us, we have Eugenie Scott's fascination with their subjects and respect 5). 351 pages. Hardback. $49.95 scholarly writing to support the teaching of for their habits and habitats are in evidence Eugenie Scott, Executive Director of the evolution while it continues being targeted by throughout the text.Much of dolphin behav National Center for Science Education, is the antievolution movement. ior remains mysterious; the authors vividly one of the leading authorities in discuss convey the difficulties of the study of swift ing the controversy around the teaching of moving underwater animals. However, many Jose Vazquez behaviors are so clearly described and illus evolution. The second edition of her book Master Teacher Science of trated that the reader feels as if real dolphins includes recent developments in the evo Liberal Studies Program lution/creationism controversy in schools, had swum across the pages of the book, New York University playing with seaweed, displaying affection such as the Dover trial. This book is hard New York, NY 10003 or aggression, and at times being as curious Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-pdf/71/7/436/55238/20565349.pdf by guest on 26 September 2021 ly an introduction; it is the equivalent of [email protected] an encyclopedia since she covers so much about the researchers as the humans are of ground, and includes plenty of reference them. -
Jerry Coyne the Faith That Dare Not Speak Its Name the Case Against Intelligent Design
the new republic P august 22 & 29, 2005 21 Wolsky had fabrics made. “Samples long as we’re there, we might as well ap- pictures possible?” I asked who that per- would go back and forth until we could preciate the good ones. We might also son might be. Fellini said, “Piero Gher- arrive at the right weight, weave and col- remember that costumes are usually ex- ardi.” Gherardi was the designer, a long- or.... Everything that Tom Hanks wore tensions of the director’s concept of the time colleague of Fellini’s. He was out of was woven for him.” The facing photo of film. In 1964 I spent a day with Federico town at the moment, and by the time I Hanks in his long overcoat makes us Fellini in Rome while he was shooting got back to Rome he had died. But I nev- grateful for Wolsky’s care. Juliet of the Spirits. At the end of the day er see a Fellini film, which happens fairly I doubt that many viewers go to films I thanked him, and he said, “Why don’t often, without thinking of what the direc- in order to judge the costumes, but as you go to see the genius who makes my tor said about his designer. J Jerry Coyne The Faith That Dare Not Speak Its Name The case against intelligent design. I. Of Pandas and People evidence.... Intelligent design is an xactly eighty years after By Percival Davis and explanation of the origin of life that the Scopes “monkey trial” Dean H. -
How Religiously Neutral Are the Anti-Creationist Organisations?
How Religiously Neutral are the Anti‐Creationist Organisations? Two case studies by Don Batten and Jonathan Sarfati 1) USA’s so‐called ‘National Center for Science Education’ In NCSE Reports 15(2):9, 1995, the Executive director, Eugenie C. Scott, protests against Dr John Morris of the Institute for Creation Research saying the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is ‘an offshoot of the American Humanist Association’. Scott claims confusion could possibly be due to NCSE's journal, Creation/Evolution, being started by the American Humanist Association (AHA) and initially edited by the executive director of the AHA, Frederick Edwords (a philosopher, not a scientist). The journal ‘was later sold by AHA to NCSE’, says Scott. Although humanism is an atheistic religious belief, Scott claims that NCSE was intended from the start to ‘be a religiously‐neutral organization focusing on science and education’. Scott says that NCSE has members from all sorts of religious persuasions, including ‘conservative evangelical Christians’. NCSE is supposedly just interested in ‘science education’. However, it seems strange that the only ‘science education’ NCSE seems interested in is evolution; not chemistry, physics, astronomy, or even experimental biology. ‘Science’ seems to be a euphemism for ‘evolution’, certainly nothing to do with the operational science that put men on the moon, cured diseases, etc. In NCSE Reports 16(1):7, 1996, readers are directed to an article ‘on our web site at http://www.csicop.org’. This is the Skeptics' (USA) web site, the ‘Science and Reason Site’, as the Skeptics claim, which overtly espouses materialism (atheism) with direct links to the Council for Secular Humanism and other atheistic / anti‐Christian sites. -
The 'Science and Religion Movement' an Opportunity for Improved Public Understanding of Science?
The 'Science and Religion Movement' An Opportunity for Improved Public Understanding of Science? The "science and religion movement" of the late 1990s can help improve the climate for acceptance of science and of evolution as a valid science. The theistic science movement, however, is different; it needs monitoring, and its growth would be detrimental to science. EUGENIE C. SCOTT hat are we talking about when we talk about "science" and "religion"? Science is a way of Wknowing that attempts to explain the natural world using natural causes. It is agnostic toward the super- natural—it neither confirms nor rejects it. So science is methodologically materialistic: matter, energy, and their interactions are used to explain nature. Supernatural causes are ruled out for philosophical as well as practical reasons: science requires testing of explanations against the natural world, and testing requires that some variables be held con- stant. Supernatural forces by definition cannot be held con- stant, thus supernatural explanation is outside of what sci- ence can deal with. Mostly, methodological materialism is SKEPTICAL INQUIRER July/August 1999 29 embraced by scientists because it works so well; we have found tered to a group of scientists in 1996, researchers found no out a great deal about how the universe operates. To say "God appreciable change in the number of "believing" scientists— did it" does not lead us to greater understanding and tends to about 39 percent (Larson and Witham 1997). Many scientists discourage further research. Even conservative theologian don't see religion and science as inherently incompatible. Alvin Plantinga agrees that resorting to direct supernatural In fact, this incompatibility view is found in only one of causes to explain the natural word is a "science stopper" four ways that (Christian) religion and science historically (Plantinga 1997). -
Interview with Dra. Eugenie C. Scott
Interview with Dra. Eugenie C. Scott Interview with Dra. Eugenie C. Scott Heslley Machado Silva1 1Centro Universitário de Formiga (UNIFOR-MG) Dr. Eugenie Carol Scott is an American anthropologist who was the executive director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE). She was a professor and researcher at the Universities of Kentucky and Colorado in the fields of Medical Anthropology and Skeletal Biology. But her name is remembered as a reference in the struggle for quality scientific education and against the teaching of the pseudo-sciences of creationism and intelligent design. With many articles published in the main academic journals of the world and several books, highlighting the recognized "Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction" and "Not in Our Classrooms: Why Intelligent Design Is Wrong for Our Schools " Eugenie Scott has always been in the front line to prevent creationism from being taught in US schools. She has been rewarded by various scientific entities for her efforts in this line. She has several university degrees honoris causa, presided and is member of several American academic associations. Even for the merit of her academic life in favor of scientific education she received an unusual homage in 2014, having the Asteroid 249540 received the name of Eugeniescott (2010 HX14). There is no space here to describe all of Dr. James Underdown director of the Center for Inquiry West and the Scott's academic accomplishments, so we must Independent Investigations Group (IIG) West awarding Dr. thank, be proud, and enjoy the opportunity to Eugenie Scott for his scientific merit to IIG, August 21, 2010. -
Cracks in the Wall, a Bulge Under the Carpet: the Singular Story of Religion, Evolution, and the U.S
University of Miami Law School University of Miami School of Law Institutional Repository Articles Faculty and Deans 2011 Cracks in the Wall, a Bulge Under the Carpet: the Singular Story of Religion, Evolution, and the U.S. Constitution Susan Haack University of Miami School of Law, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.law.miami.edu/fac_articles Part of the Constitutional Law Commons, Law and Society Commons, Legal History Commons, and the Supreme Court of the United States Commons Recommended Citation Susan Haack, Cracks in the Wall, a Bulge Under the Carpet: the Singular Story of Religion, Evolution, and the U.S. Constitution, 57 Wayne L. Rev. 1303 (2011). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty and Deans at University of Miami School of Law Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Articles by an authorized administrator of University of Miami School of Law Institutional Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CRACKS IN THE WALL, A BULGE UNDER THE CARPET: THE SINGULAR STORY OF RELIGION, EVOLUTION, AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION SUSAN HAACKt I. AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES....................... 1303 II. IN THE BEGINNING: ORIGINS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE.... 1307 III. A NEW WORLD IN THE NEW WORLD: MONKEYING WITH SCIENCE............................................ 1311 IV. YOUR ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE AT WORK: OUTLAWING OUTLAWING EVOLUTION .........................1316 V. PLUS (A CHANGE: THE RISE AND FALL OF "BALANCED TREATMENT" .............................. 1319 VI. THE WAY WE LIVE NOw: DFtJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN ................ 1324 From a report in the Daily Telegraph about an assistant in a jewelry shop, selling a cross to a customer: "Which sort did you want to look at, Sir? . -
Evolution and Intelligent Design in Biology Curricula: Secular Science in a Multicultural Public Education System
Western Washington University Western CEDAR WWU Honors Program Senior Projects WWU Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship Spring 2006 Evolution and Intelligent Design in Biology Curricula: Secular Science in a Multicultural Public Education System Morgan Leona Hopson Western Washington University Follow this and additional works at: https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors Part of the Education Commons, and the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Hopson, Morgan Leona, "Evolution and Intelligent Design in Biology Curricula: Secular Science in a Multicultural Public Education System" (2006). WWU Honors Program Senior Projects. 221. https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwu_honors/221 This Project is brought to you for free and open access by the WWU Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship at Western CEDAR. It has been accepted for inclusion in WWU Honors Program Senior Projects by an authorized administrator of Western CEDAR. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Evolution and Public Education Evolution and Intelligent Design in Biology Curricula: Secular Science in a Multicultural Public Education System Morgan Leona Hopson 2005-2006 Political Science Department University Honors Program Western Washington University B WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY An equal opportunity university Honors Program HONORS THESIS In presenting this Honors paper in partial requirements for a bachelor’s degree at Western Washington University, I agree that the Library shall make its copies freely available for inspection. I further agree that extensive -
Teaching the Anthropic Principle and Intelligent Design in the Public Schools
OHIO STATE LAW JOURNAL Volume 63, Number 6, 2002 Storm Clouds on the Horizon of Darwinism: Teaching the Anthropic Principle and Intelligent Design in the Public Schools JEFFREY F. ADDICOTT* Professor Addicott's article addresses the future legal ramifications that the fledgling intelligent design movement and the scientific concept known as the Anthropic Principlewill have on the teaching of Darwinianevolution in public schools. Both ideas are associated with the concept that an "unnamed" intelligent designer is responsible for the creation and sustainment of life. Predicting that the Supreme Court will ultimately allow for instance, school boards to incorporate intelligent design in the science curriculum, he believes neither of the two ideas violate the Establishment Clause and cannot be "dismissed as yet another back door attempt by creationists to get a secretarian religious idea into the public schools." In tracing the evolution/creation debate, ProfessorAddicott clearly establishes all the interested segments in the controversy to include the Fundamentalist creationists and "Darwinian activists. " Interestingly, in evaluating how the Court will view intelligent design, ProfessorAddicott explores what he terms the "Darwinianparadigm "-arguing that Darwinian activists may have already violated the Establishment Clause by making Darwinian evolution its own religion. * Assistant Professor of Law, St. Mary's University School of Law. B.A. (with honors), University of Maryland, 1976; J.D., University of Alabama School of Law, 1979; L.L.M., The Judge Advocate General's School of Law, 1987; L.L.M., University of Virginia School of Law, 1992; S.J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 1994. Among the colleagues and friends who have supported this article with their insight, time and thoughtfulness are Professor Michael Ariens, Professor Richard Flint, Associate Dean Bonnie Roberts and my sister, Deborah Addicott (RN).