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Textbooks at center of evolution debate
Associated Press ^ | 10/31/03

Posted on 11/01/2003 4:14:09 AM PST by I Am Not A Mod

AUSTIN -- Texas will be under the microscope this week in the fight over teaching evolution in public schools as the State Board of Education votes on adopting biology textbooks that have been at the center of the debate.

The board meets Thursday and Friday and is set to consider proposed changes submitted by 11 publishers. The board's decisions -- which could determine which textbooks publishers offer to dozens of states -- will end a review process that has been marked by months of heated debate over the theory of evolution.

Religious activists and proponents of alternative science urged publishers to revise some of the 10th-grade books and want the board to reject others, saying they contain factual errors regarding the theory of evolution. Mainstream scientists assert that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is a cornerstone of modern research and technology.

Board members can only vote to reject books based on factual errors or failure to follow state curriculum as mandated by the Legislature.

"There's a bait and switch going on here because the critics want the textbooks to question whether evolution occurred. And of course they don't because scientists don't question whether evolution occurred," said Eugenie Scott, executive director of the California-based National Center for Science Education.

Among those questioning the textbooks are about 60 biologists from around the country who signed a "statement of dissent" about teaching evolution and said both sides of the issue should be taught. Several religious leaders also testified against teaching evolution.

Any changes to the textbooks will have implications across the country.

Texas is the nation's second largest buyer of textbooks, and books sold in the state are often marketed by publishers nationwide. Texas, California and Florida account for more than 30 percent of the nation's $4 billion public school book market. Three dozen publishers invest millions of dollars in Texas.

One of the most vocal advocates of changing the textbooks is the Discovery Institute, a nonprofit think tank based in Seattle. Institute officials have argued at board hearings that alternatives to commonly accepted theories of evolution should be included in textbooks to comply with a state requirement that both strengths and weaknesses are presented.

"These things are widely criticized as being problematic. They aren't criticisms we made up; they're criticisms widely held in the scientific community," said Discovery Institute fellow John West.

Steven Schafersman, president of Texas Citizens for Science, said there are no weaknesses in current textbooks' explanation of evolution. Publishers are required to cover evolution in science books.

The institute has referred to a theory dubbed intelligent design -- a belief that life did not evolve randomly but progressed according to a plan or design. No book on the mainstream market presents the intelligent design theory of evolution.

"We know that this is a very contentious issue. We know that, but the sorts of things we were proposing we thought were moderate," West said.

Samantha Smoot, executive director of the Texas Freedom Network, which monitors religious activists, argues that the Discovery Institute's arguments are rooted in religion. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1962 that the teaching of creationism in public schools is a violation of the separation of church and state.

"It says that the theory of evolution can't explain the diversity of life on this planet and that there must have been a designer," Smoot said. "That is a very valid and commonly held religious perspective, but not one that is upheld by scientific evidence. Therefore it's not one that belongs in science classrooms."

The Discovery Institute has maintained that its arguments have no religious foundation, but Smoot disagrees.

"The concept of intelligent design was crafted specifically to get around legal prohibitions against teaching religion in public schools," she said. "And as long as proponents of intelligent design deny that they're referring to God when they talk about the designer, they hope to be able to pull this off."

At least one publisher has submitted changes in line with the institute's recommendations.

Holt, Rinehart & Winston has submitted a change that directs students to "study hypotheses for the origin of life that are alternatives" to the others in the book. Students also are encouraged to research alternative theories on the Internet.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: crevolist; scienceeducation; textbooks
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To: PatrickHenry
Ping.
21 posted on 11/01/2003 6:54:40 AM PST by Physicist
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To: *crevo_list; VadeRetro; jennyp; Junior; longshadow; RadioAstronomer; Scully; Piltdown_Woman; ...
PING. [This ping list is for the evolution side of evolution threads, and sometimes for other science topics. FReepmail me to be added or dropped.]
22 posted on 11/01/2003 7:04:04 AM PST by PatrickHenry (Hic amor, haec patria est.)
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To: PatrickHenry
Thanks for the heads up!
23 posted on 11/01/2003 7:12:57 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: All
An article about one of the witnesses in the Texas schoolbook controversy: Physics Nobelist takes stand on evolution.
24 posted on 11/01/2003 7:35:25 AM PST by PatrickHenry (Hic amor, haec patria est.)
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To: RJCogburn
As I said, evolution is a theory, imo, not a proven.

This is one of the anti-Evolutionists' favorite straw men to bash: "Evolution hasn't been proven." But it is based on a misnomer.

What is not well-known outside of science is that scientific theories are NEVER proven. The reason is that since all it takes to refute one is a single counter example, and since there are virtually an unlimited number of potential "test cases" for most theories, it is impossible to exhaustively exclude every one of them.

Therefore, all scientific theories are held tentatively, based upon their ability to withstand attempted falsification: the more attempted falsifications, the more strongly the theory is held to likely be correct.

This is why it is a requirement for a theory to make "useful predictions" in order to be considered "scientific" -- because the theory that makes NO predictions cannot be tested or falsified, even in principle. Similarly, theories that are consistent with ALL possible outcomes are similarly "unfalsifiable" and are thus not "scientific" theories. Examples would be Creationism ("That's just the way God did it!") and it's kissing cousin so-called Intelligent Design Theory (The designer designed it that way!") Neither one can be falsified, even in principle, because they are compatible with virtually ANY possible data.

Science embraces the Theory of Evolution tentatively, just as it embraces the Theory of Gravitation tentatively. And as for that other anti-Evo canard: "Evolution isn't falsifiable!" I respectfully suggest that discovering widespread mammalian fossils in the pre-Cambrian strata is just ONE example of data that would turn the Theory of Evolution on it's head.

25 posted on 11/01/2003 7:52:07 AM PST by longshadow
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To: f.Christian
Great pics! Watch out, I may steal them!
26 posted on 11/01/2003 9:52:09 AM PST by gore3000 ("To say dogs, mice, and humans are all products of slime plus time is a mystery religion.")
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To: WorkingClassFilth
And here's a Professor of Biology doing a critique of Darwins Black Box.

Here's the link, enjoy!!

http://biomed.brown.edu/Faculty/M/Miller/Behe.html
27 posted on 11/01/2003 10:05:12 AM PST by Ogmios (Since when is 66 senate votes for judicial confirmations constitutional?)
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To: WorkingClassFilth
Oh, and here's Dr Millers Homepage, you might find it fascinating, or upsetting, All depending on your views of ID.

http://www.millerandlevine.com/km/evol/
28 posted on 11/01/2003 10:07:42 AM PST by Ogmios (Since when is 66 senate votes for judicial confirmations constitutional?)
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To: Just mythoughts
The data does in fact tell of a "CREATOR"

It does? Perhaps you could provide references?
29 posted on 11/01/2003 10:49:59 AM PST by Dimensio (The only thing you feel when you take a human life is recoil. -- Frank Jones (as "Earl"))
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To: milan
Some of the data is the data of fact that there is no possible way that the number of life forms we have on this planet and the number of positive "mutations" that would have had to take place are even remotely possible.

Evidence?

It takes much less faith to belive in God

Are you referring to any generic god, or a specific God in particular?

than it does to buy the outlandish "hey, I need to reproduce, I think I will grow a dingle" sequence.

Given that no scientific theory posits such a thing, I don't know why you bring it up. Are you ignorant of scientific theory, or are you trying to muddy the debate with strawmen?
30 posted on 11/01/2003 10:51:26 AM PST by Dimensio (The only thing you feel when you take a human life is recoil. -- Frank Jones (as "Earl"))
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To: Bob_Dobbs
Is the universe really "like" a design?

This is actually pretty easy to determine. Just compare this universe to several other universes that you know are not designed. If you find significant differences between this one and the undesigned ones, then you've got good reasoning to assert that something special has happened here.

Alternatively, find some universes that you know are designed and compare them to this one for similarities.
31 posted on 11/01/2003 10:53:11 AM PST by Dimensio (The only thing you feel when you take a human life is recoil. -- Frank Jones (as "Earl"))
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To: Held_to_Ransom
Darwin was very definitely a creationist.

So? A concept is not religious just because it was thought up by a religious person. Issac Newton's theories aren't religious in nature just because he was a devout Christian (and Alchemist, but that's another matter).
32 posted on 11/01/2003 10:54:43 AM PST by Dimensio (The only thing you feel when you take a human life is recoil. -- Frank Jones (as "Earl"))
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To: PatrickHenry
Thanks for the pings as always.

Some state that "99% of mutations are harmful"
Y'all are much more up to speed on this point.

I can give one example of where a 'harmful' mutation, was of a benefit. Sickle cell anemia. In the old areas of malaria, the mutation allowed the mutants to survive longer than the non-mutants who had no resistance to it. In the short term, it conferred a great benefit, in todays world, it is a miserable affliction. I thought Tay-sachs had something similar to it. What about Lactose-intolerance?

Any clues are appreciated!


33 posted on 11/01/2003 12:14:41 PM PST by BiffWondercat
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To: RJCogburn
"but intelligent design by whatever name should be left to religious training. "

Why? If intelligent design fits the data, why not allow it as a hypothesis?

34 posted on 11/01/2003 12:21:11 PM PST by DannyTN (Note left on my door by a pack of neighborhood dogs.)
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To: BiffWondercat
I'm not an expert on mutations. I suppose there are as many possible mutations as there are possibilities for imperfect replication of genetic material. Many are irrelevant. Some are lethal. Some turn out to be beneficial. Natural selection is what sorts them out, like a filter, for the next generation.
35 posted on 11/01/2003 12:21:51 PM PST by PatrickHenry (The universe is made for life, therefore ID. Life can't arise naturally, therefore ID.)
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To: DannyTN
If intelligent design fits the data, why not allow it as a hypothesis?

Because it fits all data, so it serves no explanatory purpose. Nothing will ever contradict ID. It can't be falsified. It's scientifically useless. Pleasant concept, however. But it's not science.

36 posted on 11/01/2003 12:24:26 PM PST by PatrickHenry (The universe is made for life, therefore ID. Life can't arise naturally, therefore ID.)
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To: longshadow
I read in Discover about a physicist who is an proponent of "modified gravity" While he is dismissed; his thories do away with the need for 'Dark matter/energy'

But he will have to 'prove' it. I'm kinda rooting for him.


37 posted on 11/01/2003 12:35:02 PM PST by BiffWondercat
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To: PatrickHenry
Oh do not bother.

The ID people are doing a fantastic job of proving that there is no God. That may not be their goal, but it is what they are doing.

Those of us who do believe in God, have enjoying this debate. It teaches us how religions can be distorted for political gains, by false profits who have a vested interest in deception.

Science is the understanding of how God did it. To the mind of an ID person, they are trying to invalidate everything that God has shown us.

I find that rather sad.

38 posted on 11/01/2003 12:38:29 PM PST by Hunble
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To: PatrickHenry
"Because it fits all data, so it serves no explanatory purpose."

What do you mean it fits all data? I can say my car is designed. That fits all data, but it is a fact. If only because I have the testimony of the car dealer and news organizations. Should science be in the business of disallowing facts or theories, simply because it fits?

What do you mean it serves no explanatory purpose? Design works as an explanation in the car example, why not with life? Does either evolution or ID really offer that much in the form of an explanatory purpose? Neither really advances our understanding of anything useful. Advances in biology, genetics, microbiology, etc, could all have come with either or neither of the two theories. Because advances in both are from observations at a lower level. Does faith in evolution advance my doctor's ability to treat the human body? Not one iota. Does it advance my ability to train my dog? Again, not one iota. Name one useful thing that evolution has added to science that couldn't have been discovered in the absence of the theory.

It can't be falsified. It's scientifically useless.

Can't you really say the same thing about evolution? Even when the evidence contradicts evolution, evolutionists just blindly say, there must be some "natural" explanation. Isn't that the same as the creationist saying, there could be either a "natural" or "supernatural" explanation? Does either really contribute to science? But aren't both equally valid theories on our origins?

39 posted on 11/01/2003 12:43:40 PM PST by DannyTN (Note left on my door by a pack of neighborhood dogs.)
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To: RJCogburn
"Certainly there is some reason for existence and the universe but a 'Creator' of the kind you seem to suggest is a matter of faith, not data. "

Isn't that statement itself a statement of "faith", not data?

40 posted on 11/01/2003 12:47:15 PM PST by DannyTN (Note left on my door by a pack of neighborhood dogs.)
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