The Texas Board of Education has sparked controversy in the world of science with a move last week that would require students to evaluate the "sufficiency or insufficiency" of ideas about natural selection and the common ancestry of different species--two key components of modern evolutionary theory.
In a development that was watched closely by science teachers nationwide, the board last week voted to eliminate language in the current curriculum that requires teachers to address "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution and other scientific theories, a phrase that scientists say has been used to undermine Darwin's theory of evolution and instead promote the fundametalist version of creationism, or intelligent design.
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