New report from National Academy of Sciences slams anti-evolution movement
Primary Topic Channel: Science
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The report, from the National Academy of Sciences and its Institute of Medicine, comes as advocates of creationist-style instruction escalate their political opposition to evolution in several key states. The new document follows up on similar past publications, the last of which came out in 1999. But this one includes recently discovered evidence supporting evolution, including an important fossil find.
Released Jan. 3, the report explicitly takes issue with creationism and other anti-evolution views:
“Despite the lack of scientific evidence for creationist positions, some advocates continue to demand that various forms of creationism be taught together with or in place of evolution in science classes.”
Evolution is a continuing topic of debate in some states. Florida officials are considering revisions in state science standards that would add the word “evolution” to the standards. The state Board of Education plans to vote on the guidelines next month.
In Texas, the state’s director of science curriculum, Chris Comer, maintains she was forced to resign recently as a result of evolution politics. Comer said she came under pressure after forwarding an eMail message that her superiors said made the agency appear to be biased against the instruction of intelligent design, an alternative to evolution favored by some religious conservatives.
Intelligent design holds that the universe’s order and complexity are so great that evolution cannot explain them.
The Texas State Board of Education is expected to begin a review of the state science curriculum soon.
Josh Rosenau, a spokesman for the California-based National Center for Science Education, which supports the teaching of evolution, said the new report is important because the debate over evolution in school is not going away.
Casey Luskin, program officer for the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based think tank that supports teaching students about the criticism of evolution, was critical of the document.
“Students should learn about the evidence for and against evolution,” he said.
The Institute of Medicine is part of the National Academy of Sciences, a private organization chartered by Congress to advise the government on scientific matters.
Links:
National Academies
National Center for Science Education
Discovery Institute
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Can you possibly be serious??
I am currently reading a book entitled "In a Heartbeat" by Mark Cahill. I fully believe that anyone that doesn't believe that Creationism isn't a science needs to check it out. I have heard a lot of arguments both ways, but Mark clearly pulls out all the stops with quotes from several well known "evolutionists" and "darwinists". The true fact of the matter is that scientists really can't "prove" anything beyond a shadow of a doubt!! There are many gaps in their evolution theories that scientists can not explain. For instance, if we truly evolved from something, why is there not scientific evidence by way of fossils, that would back that up? There aren't fossils that would support the transitional part of evolution!! And we couldn't have been monkeys one day and humans the next right, their has to be something in between?? Or how about the theory of "irreducible complexity"?? Explain how flagellum evolved from anything?? If one of it's working parts came from somewhere else, or arrived at a different time, flagellum could have never existed! That evidence doesn't seem to support the evolution theory at all. I understand your strong opinion Mr. Clement...but I do not believe you do NOT have all "facts" needed to be making these decisions. As a high school teacher myself, Why would we make a mandate to teach one dominating theory to our students when it hasn't been completely founded? They certainly are intelligent enough to decide for themselves which position they will take don't you think??
Posted By: viaa700, 2008-01-08 10:30 AM
Creationism is not science
Your article quotes Casey Luskin from the "Discovery Institute" and includes a link to the organization calling it a "Seattle based think tank". Although the Discovery Institute has a slick web design and poses itself as a science-based organization, it is actually a front for conservative religious organizations to promote the teaching of creationism and Intelligent Design alongside evolution in our nation's public schools. It does this by manufacturing controversies where there are none and promoting false perceptions about evolution. This organization ignores scientific facts to promote its own religious agenda. Intelligent Design has no place in our science classrooms, other than perhaps to be used as an example of how people ignorant of science can have their perceptions manipulated by unscrupulous organizations which find it convenient to ignore facts.
Posted By: paul_clement, 2008-01-07 12:38 PM
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Glad I teach in NC
Evolution, and only evolution, has been a major component of our science curriculum for years now...after all, it is one of the unifying themes of the biological sciences.
Posted By: loneill3981, 2008-01-08 11:09 AM