“We only want to teach both the ‘strengths and weaknesses’ of evolution! We aren’t trying to insert IDCreationism!”

Okay. So who is it who wants this taught?

“Uh… the same people who promote Creationism… ”

Hmmmmmmm…

8)

Thanks for teh links.

“David Bradley just made the remark that he tried to get Ben Stein to come to Austin and speak in front of the SBOE, but they couldn’t afford his fees! This comment is just priceless, since Ben Stein has absolutely no scientific or educational qualifications whatsoever, except his brief appearance as a public school teacher in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). His pseudodocumentary, Expelled, has been justly decried as a fascist, ignorant diatribe against evolution. The movie producer used every dirty trick to fool the scientists who were asked to appear in it on camera. Stein himself indulges in despicable tactics to mislead and deceive his audience about the truth. David Bradley wants to do the same. “

That’s funny!

Click my name for a link to the SciGuy’s blog, and follow it to Steve’s blog & updates.

8)

I don’t think I’ll be able to get to go today or tomorrow, either. *dangit*

What’s interesting is that the wording of the current science standards has included the phrase “strengths and weaknesses” for the past 10 years. So it would seem that Texas has been doomed for some time, and now these people are trying to help un-doom Texas.

Stand up for Science!

8)

Not a good sign.

I live in the Dallas area. I called Gail Lowe, my local BoE rep and voiced my concern. I am little shocked, embarrassed, and dismayed. She actually thought there was room for both ‘theories’. She started with ’so you are in the evolution camp’.

Jim, this illustrates the success of the anti-evolution tactics. First they spread the lie that there is some kind of controversy about evolution. Then, they spread the lie that there is an alternative “scientific” theory. People in positions of authority who have not taken their responsibilities seriously (and have therefore not become as informed as they ought) see a debate with two sides. The third stroke of the anti-evolutionist lobby is to claim that “both sides” of the “controversy” should be taught.

From one perspective, it would be amusing to compile a text book about evolution versus ID (perhaps edited and published by those excellent people at the NCSE). On the one hand, a nice overview of evolutionary theory could be presented, along with a very brief precis of the evidence that supports it. This would occupy the first 28 chapters.

Then, you could look at the claims of ID, and examine each one critically. This would be the shortest chapter, since, aside from strawman attacks on evolutionary theory and arguments from ignorance and personal incredulity, there is no theory of ID. Unless “someone intelligent somehow created some biological things, at some time,” counts as a theory.

The key question is: how, in principal, could we tell the difference between a universe that has been created by a god and one which has not?

D’oh! I meant, of course, “principle”.

Answers in Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research do not do good science.

This gets my vote for “Understatement of the year 2009″!