evolution

Texas Improves on Strengths and Weaknesses Language in Science Standards on Teaching Evolution

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 ›

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education and school concept little student girl studying at school
Image licensed via Adobe Stock

Using Religion to Suppress Debate on Evolution

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 ›

Happy Darwin Day?

Today marks the bicentennial of two notable birthdays, Abraham Lincoln’s and Charles Darwin’s. Lincoln is a hero to many Americans, but an international campaign is now under way to declare Feb. 12 Darwin Day. According to many of his modern followers, Darwin is the world’s greatest scientist, and his theory is the cornerstone of modern biology – if not the Read More ›

Intelligent Design Renews Debate Between Science and Religion

This article, published by The Baptist Standard, is about William Dembski of Discovery Institute: Just ask William Dembski. Educated as a probability theorist, Dembski had a “Eureka!” moment in 1988 when he heard a statistician say at a conference that mathematics can define what randomness is not but not what it is. The rest of the article can be found Read More ›

Discovery Institute Honors Charles Darwin With Academic Freedom Day

Discovery Institute today announced the launch of Academic Freedom Day in honor of Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday on February 12, 2009. “We’re celebrating Charles Darwin’s birthday by supporting what he supported: academic freedom,” said Robert Crowther, Director of Communications at Discovery Institute. “Like Darwin, we recognize the importance of having an open and honest debate between evolution and intelligent design.” Read More ›

Response: Waiting Longer for Two Mutations

In the Abstract of their recent article, “Waiting for Two Mutations: With Applications to Regulatory Sequence Evolution and the Limits of Darwinian Evolution” (GENETICS 180: 1501–1509, 2008), Durrett and Schmidt write that one of their aims is “to expose flaws in some of Michael Behe’s arguments concerning mathematical limits to Darwinian evolution.” Their effort, however, is itself seriously flawed. They Read More ›

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Empty chairs in university lecture hall
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Professors Show Need for Academic Freedom Bill

Two OU professors who are adamantly opposed to Senate Bill 320 — a Science Education and Academic Freedom bill filed by Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso — have recently shown why the bill is necessary. Zoology professors Vic Hutchison and Richard Broughton have passed out fliers encouraging opposition to the bill, which would permit high school science educators to teach the strengths and weaknesses of science topics that can cause controversy. The blatant misrepresentation of the bill that Hutchison and Broughton display creates a climate of fear that warrants such academic freedom legislation. Read More ›

Media Backgrounder: Texas Board of Education Actions on Evolution

This morning the Texas State Board of Education unanimously approved the first reading of new science standards for the state. There seems to be a great deal of confusion in the media about what the Board actually accomplished, and so we are putting out this backgrounder summarizing the Board’s key actions relating to evolution. In a nutshell: The Board refused Read More ›

Texas Board of Education Schedules Special Expert Hearing on Strengths and Weaknesses of Evolution

Austin, TX — The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) has scheduled a hearing of scientific experts, including three scientists who are recommending that students should learn about scientific evidence that challenges Darwin’s theory of evolution. On Wednesday, January 21st, six experts selected by the SBOE to review a proposed update of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for science Read More ›