The idea that human beings can observe signs of intelligent design in nature reaches back to the foundations of both science and civilization. In the Greco-Roman tradition, Plato and Cicero both espoused early versions of intelligent design. In the history of science, most scientists until the latter part of the nineteenth century accepted some form of intelligent design, including Alfred Read More ›
When California recently resolved its mammoth budget deficit, it also moved to ease restrictions on transportation public-private partnerships, a politically controversial idea that over the long run could help control costs to taxpayers of improving overloaded roads, rails, and freight facilities. P3s, as the arrangements are called, draw from among construction, engineering, highway management, and infrastructure investment firms (often funded partly Read More ›
Austin, TX — Today, the Texas Board of Education chose science over dogma and adopted science standards improving on the old “strengths and weaknesses” language by requiring students to “critique” and examine “all sides of scientific evidence.” In addition, the Board—for the first time— specifically required high school students to “analyze and evaluate” the evidence for major evolutionary concepts such Read More ›
Evolution was back in the headlines this week as the Texas State Board of Education voted 13-2 to require students to “analyze and evaluate” major evolutionary concepts such as common ancestry, natural selection, and mutations, as well as adopting a critical thinking standard calling on students to “critique” and examine “all sides of scientific evidence.” The vote was a loss Read More ›
Executive Summary At the January 21, 2009 experts’ hearing to review the draft TEKS, SMU anthropologist Ronald Wetherington confidently assured the Texas State Board of Education that there were no weaknesses in Darwinian evolution for students to learn about. Yet as the following review documents, Dr. Wetherington in his testimony frequently misstated or exaggerated the scientific evidence for his position, Read More ›
If the August 2007 implosion of the subprime mortgage lending market signaled the impending burst of the housing asset bubble, the March 2008 collapse of the old-line investment banking firm Bear Stearns & Co. heralded the stock market crash and global financial crash of 2008. Cohan is an ex-investment banker who previously published a history of the investment-banking firm Lazard Read More ›
TO: Texas State Board of Education FROM: Ralph Seelke, Professor of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Superior SUBJECT: Response to David Hillis’ comments on my research DATE: March 23, 2009 This is in response to Dr. David Hillis’ comments at the January 21 meeting of the Texas State Board of Education concerning my research on evolution. As you may recall, I have Read More ›
This article, published by Crosswalk, quotes Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Wesley J. Smith: Ominously, Wesley J. Smith has documented the “growing utilitarian emphasis in medicine,” in which saving money increasingly takes precedence over “doing right by suffering patients.” The rest of the article can be found here.