'Steves' support teaching of evolution

The Washington Times ^ | 2/17/2003 | Larry Witham

[jennyp]

More than 200 scientists "named Steve" yesterday issued a statement backing evolution instruction in public schools, the latest response to state science standards that allow criticism of Darwinism.

The statement, issued in Denver at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), lists people named Steve to illustrate the large number of evolution backers and to honor Harvard evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould, who died last year of cancer.

[jennyp]

The Steve Project is a response to things like this statement the Discovery Institute generated last year, where they found 100 scientists who were willing to sign on to a very mild statement of support for Intelligent Design.

[jennyp]

Oops, that's "Project Steve". Anyway, see also this article from The Scientist:

Bringing in the Steves

Select group of scientists sign-up to support teaching evolution. | By Steve Mirsky

Charles Darwin has been dead for more than 120 years, but the battle over teaching the theory of evolution is very much alive. Its most recent salvo was fired in Denver on Sunday, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

The National Center for Science Education (NCSE), an Oakland, California-based nonprofit organization affiliated with AAAS, issued a 90-word statement firmly supporting evolution education and asserting that "there is no serious scientific doubt that evolution occurred" within the scientific community. The mini-manifesto was signed by 220 scientists. And in a clear case of intelligent design, every one of them is named Steve.

The list, which includes Steves, Stevens, Stephens, Stefans and Stephanies, is in part homage to the late Stephen Jay Gould. And as Steves make up about one percent of the US population according to the Census Bureau, the assumption is that the 220 signatories represent about one percent of the 22,000 scientists who would endorse the new statement.

"Creationists are fond of circulating statements denouncing evolution, signed by as many scientists as they can muster," said Eugenie Scott, executive director of the NCSE, devoted to promoting evolution education in public schools. "We did it as a joke, but the antievolutionists are serious."

The NCSE's "Project Steve" grew out of a statement signed by 52 intelligent-design proponents that appeared last year in Ohio, during a heated review of the state's science education standards. In December, the Ohio State Board of Education nevertheless adopted standards that mandate the teaching and testing of evolution, but not of creationism or intelligent design, a victory for the NCSE.

Steve Rissing, director of the introductory biology program at Ohio State University, told The Scientist, "This effort is trying to point out that getting some list of supposed experts including this list doesn't represent a scientific discovery that we in the biology education world need to pay attention to."

Nevertheless, Project Steve does illustrate the scientific community's near universal subscription to evolutionary theory. "I think it's part of our responsibility to try to educate nonscientists about what the scientific opinion is," said biophysicist Stephanie Tristram-Nagle of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "Actually, I've always hated nicknames," she admitted. "But I thought it was neat to be included in this group of scientific Steves."

Signatory Steven Chu, 1997 physics Nobel Laureate, now devotes about two-thirds of his research at Stanford University to biological problems. "There has to be a voice that counters the other suggestion that evolution is just speculation that can be put alongside other ideas that are equally valid," he said. "I don't think you need to be a biologist to feel that, no, there is a real difference."

Steve Weinberg, 1979 Nobel physicist also lent his name. "You realize that we have 100% of the Nobel Laureates in science named Steve," noted Scott. "Both of them."

Rissing is contemplating another foray into majority-vote science. "I've actually challenged creationists on the board of education to put the second law of thermodynamics up for a popular referendum in Ohio," he said. "I'd gladly vote against it. I hate the second law. It messes up my life my office is disorganized."

[Cicero]

Are you sure this isn't Monty Python?

[jennyp]

Here's the original press release:

National Center for Science Education

Embargoed till February 16, 2003

TEACH EVOLUTION!

Over two hundred scientists named Steve agree

Denver, Colorado, February 16, 2003 -- A first-of-its-kind statement on evolution signed by over 200 scientists was unveiled today at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual convention in Denver, Colorado, following Lawrence Krauss's topical lecture entitled "Scientific Ignorance as a Way of Life: From Science Fiction in Washington to Intelligent Design in the Classroom." The statement -- sponsored by the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), a nonprofit organization that defends the teaching of evolution in the public schools -- reads:

Evolution is a vital, well-supported, unifying principle of the biological sciences, and the scientific evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of the idea that all living things share a common ancestry. Although there are legitimate scientific debates about the patterns and processes of evolution, there is no serious scientific doubt that evolution occurred or that natural selection is a major mechanism of evolution. It is scientifically inappropriate and pedagogically irresponsible for creationist pseudoscience, including but not limited to "intelligent design," to be introduced into the science curricula of the public schools.

The 220 signatories are a distinguished group. Almost all hold PhDs in the sciences. They include two Nobel prize winners, eight members of the National Academy of Sciences, and several well-known authors of popular science books such as Why We Age, Darwin's Ghost, and How the Mind Works.

And they're all named Steve.

Eugenie C. Scott, the executive director of NCSE, explained the significance of the statement. "Creationists are fond of amassing lists of PhDs who deny evolution to try to give the false impression that evolution is somehow on the verge of being rejected by the scientific community. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Hundreds of scientists endorsed the NCSE statement. And we asked only scientists named Steve -- who represent approximately 1% of scientists."

Steven Weinberg, professor of physics at the University of Texas, Austin, and recipient of the 1977 Nobel Prize in physics, added, "Of course science isn't decided by manifesto; this statement pokes fun at such efforts. If you want to know whether scientists accept evolution, you should look in the scientific literature. There you find that evolution is alive and well, as a central and unifying principle of science."

The statement comes in the wake of several recent attempts to undermine evolution education across the country, including in Ohio. Said Steve Rissing, professor of biology at Ohio State University, "I run what is perhaps the largest introductory biology program in the world. That people are misleading the public about the scientific standing of evolution not only saddens me but also makes my job harder."

Steven Pinker, professor of psychology at MIT, added, "The 220 Steves -- and Stephanies -- who signed the statement aren't trying to stifle dissent, of course. Anyone who did produce solid scientific evidence against evolution would become an instant superstar. The point of the statement is to demonstrate how misleading it is to claim, on the basis of a handful of dissenters, that evolution is a 'theory in crisis.'"

And why Steve? "In honor of the late Harvard zoologist and geologist Stephen Jay Gould, a valiant supporter of both evolution education and NCSE," NCSE's Scott explained. "We hope that the next time creationists present a list of 'scientific dissenters from evolution', reporters will ask, 'How many of them are named Steve?'"

The National Center for Science Education is a nonprofit organization, based in Oakland, California, dedicated to defending the teaching of evolution in the public schools. On the web at www.ncseweb.org.

Contact:
Stephen "Skip" Evans, NCSE, 800-290-6006 or (510) 601-7203 x308, evans@ncseweb.org
Eugenie C. Scott, NCSE, 800-290-6006 or (510) 601-7203 x301, scott@ncseweb.org

Return to the Project Steve main page.

# # #

---

National Center for Science Education
420 40th St Suite 2, Oakland, CA 94609
510-601-7203 http://www.ncseweb.org

PDF version of this document

[longshadow]

You know how they'll spin this: 220 scientists ALL named "Steve" endorsing evolution will be cited as evidence that evolution is a CONSPIRACY of evil scientists!

"220 scientists all named "Steve" signing the same statement? WHat are the odds of that happening randomly? About the same as a tornado assembling a 747 in a junkyard! It's virtually impossible -- hence, this is proof that Evolution is a CONSPIRACY! Waaaaaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

</lunatic logic mode>

[Jen]

Valin - Did you have anything to do with this? ;-)

[Democrap]

Steven Pinker, a professor of psychology at MIT, said he and other signers "aren't trying to stifle dissent" but "to demonstrate how misleading it is to claim, on the basis of a handful of dissenters, that evolution is a 'theory in crisis.' "

Sure you betcha

[Junior]

Why weren't we informed of this. Are y'all at Darwin Central falling down on the job?

[forsnax5]

This is actually very funny.

I doubt that the creationists will see the humor, however.

:)

[general_re]

"Thirty Helens agree..." ;)

[Aracelis]

Rissing is contemplating another foray into majority-vote science. "I've actually challenged creationists on the board of education to put the second law of thermodynamics up for a popular referendum in Ohio," he said. "I'd gladly vote against it. I hate the second law. It messes up my life my office is disorganized."

It messes up my life too, let's vote it out! Whilst we are at it, let's vote out Steno's Laws, just to make things easier on Creationists. ROFL

[Aracelis]

Might not these individuals be known as, "Stevolutionists"??? lol

[Rad_J]

Pinging drstevej

[drstevej]

As a PhD Steve with a degree in engineering and theology, I hereby renounce the Steve Theory of evolution support.

This theory and it's supporters should crawl back into the primordial soup from whence it thinks it began.

[jennyp]

Hey, that's one! Now let's see... The ICR's list of creation scientists - biologists lists ... zero Steves. Their list of creation scientists - physical sciences lists ... 3! So that's four creation scientists named "Steve".

Unfortunately, there were no Steves in the Discovery Institute's "STATEMENT OF GEORGIA SCIENTISTS FOR ACADEMIC FREEDOM", nor in their "A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism" petition. So four it is.

[jennyp]

"Five Guys Named Moe" has been running through my head all morning.

[PatrickHenry]

I'm using the full ping list. Sorry if you got pinged earlier.

[This ping list is for the evolution -- not creationism -- side of evolution threads, and sometimes for other science topics. To be added (or dropped), let me know via freepmail.]

[PatrickHenry]

Why weren't we informed of this. Are y'all at Darwin Central falling down on the job?

At Darwin Central -- that's conspiracy HQ, in case someone didn't know -- everyone has the code name "Steve" for security purposes. Trust me, we're on top of things.

[Dataman]

More than 200 scientists "named Steve" yesterday issued a statement backing evolution instruction in public schools, the latest response to state science standards that allow criticism of Darwinism.

Ho hum! Allowing criticism of the fatally flawed darwinian default is not the same as rejecting it.

Don't be such cowards, dear evos. At least creationists aren't afraid of debate.

Maybe Bush should follow your cue and disallow any dissention from the left.

Silencing critics seems to be on the top of every totalitarian government. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

[f.Christian]

Just calling evolution a theory is an overstatement . . .

only an idea // mood // feeling - - -

an ideology === perverse oddity ! ! !


To: f.Christian

Conjecture masquarading as science might be more appropos - I agree.


71 posted on 01/21/2003 12:04 PM PST by Havoc ((Evolution is a theory, Creationism is God's word, ID is science, Sanka is coffee))

DOGMA masquarading as science might be more appropos - I agree.

Main Entry: dog·ma
Pronunciation: 'dog-m&, 'däg-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural dogmas also dog·ma·ta /-m&-t&/
Etymology: Latin dogmat-, dogma, from Greek, from dokein to seem -- more at DECENT
Date: 1638
1 a : something held as an established opinion; especially : a definite authoritative tenet b : a code of such tenets < pedagogical dogma > c : a point of view or tenet put forth as authoritative without adequate grounds
2 : a doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church

Main Entry: 1con·jec·ture
Pronunciation: k&n-'jek-ch&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin conjectura, from conjectus, past participle of conicere, literally, to throw together, from com- + jacere to throw -- more at JET
Date: 14th century
1 obsolete a : interpretation of omens b : SUPPOSITION
2 a : inference from defective or presumptive evidence b : a conclusion deduced by surmise or guesswork c : a proposition (as in mathematics) before it has been proved or disproved