The Texas State Board of Education’s shocking action Friday (May 23, 2008) in adopting new standards for K-12 English/Language Arts is being viewed by some as a harbinger of things to come for the new science standards, which are the next to be revised.
Category Archives: Science
new study: 1 of 8 HS science teachers teach creationism
May 20, 2008 – 4:12 pm
This new study reports that “Of the 25% of teachers who devoted time to creationism or intelligent design, nearly half agreed or strongly agreed that they teach creationism as a “valid scientific alternative to Darwinian explanations for the origin of species.”
evolution disproved on GodTube
May 13, 2008 – 10:44 pm
There’s a devastating disproof of evolution at
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=817b7893bcdeed13799b
I had decided not to bother blogging about this, but that work’s been done for us by The Sensuous Curmudgeon.
Expelled — approaching extinction?
May 13, 2008 – 8:09 pm
My guess is that Expelled will not survive out on the surface and in daylight. It might not be able to survive at all without some mutation to accommodate pressure from the legal environment — but after such mutation, the film will survive in dark, dank, cavernous environments; but the predators that feed upon such fare will still roam free to infect other populations with this malicious virus.
Documentation re: Texas rejects creation science teaching degree
May 6, 2008 – 6:30 pm
On April 24 the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board denied an application from the Institute for Creation Research [ ICR ] for certification of its distance education program for a masters degree in “science education,” which would have meant certification of its graduates as science teachers. The following Documents are now posted at the TCEHB [...]
Resources on Ben Stein’s Expelled
May 6, 2008 – 11:32 am
In addition to “Expelled Exposed,” a page maintained by NCSE with links to coverage on Ben Stein’s movie, the pro-creationist Access Research Network (ARN) also has a page of links to resources. The ARN page may be more comprehensive, including links to items both favorable and critical toward the movie.
Brownback’s anti-humanzee legislation
May 5, 2008 – 5:22 pm
In Ligers, Tigons, and Zonkeys, Oh My!, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council writes:
Over the past few years, plenty of animal hybrids have been coaxed into existence, including wholphins (whale and dolphin), lepjags (leopard and jaguar), and a pizzly (polar and grizzly bear). We are quickly approaching a threshold of irresponsibility that is [...]
Expelled enjoined
May 5, 2008 – 11:21 am
Yoko Ono has won an injunction against Expelled, but the answer is effective public education — not “enforced science,” which is at best an oxymoron.
“Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature”
May 4, 2008 – 7:58 pm
Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande is one of two books reviewed for the Austin American-Statesman, as “Good YA novels with silly titles.”
From the review:
When Ms. Shepherd begins teaching evolution, the self-styled “Holy Warriors” at Mena’s church call for her dismissal and demand the teaching of intelligent design. Mena [...]
anti-science in Texas
May 4, 2008 – 7:41 pm
The following morning, I received a call from the principal. She confirmed that there is no retesting for the Science TAKS. But she also informed me that my son would not be retained in the fifth grade because Science TAKS is not required for promotion! Fifth grade students must pass the Reading and Math TAKS tests in order to be promoted, but they don’t even have to show up for the Science TAKS.
from Ben Stein: “Darwinism cannot explain gravity” (with video)
May 3, 2008 – 2:24 pm
From Glenn Beck’s show on CNN Monday, April 28, 2008:
Darwinism cannot explain gravity, cannot explain thermodynamics.
high school student finds conservative bias
April 28, 2008 – 1:35 pm
added May 2, 2008
For links to other posts on LaClair, see this post on the Five Public Opinions blog. Click here for a transcript of his acceptance speech for the FFRF 2007 Thomas Jefferson Student Activist Award, and click here for an audio recording of the speech.
In a new (April 27, 2008) Op-Ed piece in [...]
evidentiary examples deceitfully Expelled
April 20, 2008 – 12:36 pm
… Mathis basically explains that these examples were excluded from the film because inclusion of this evidence against the film’s major argument “would have confused the film unnecessarily.”
In other words, the film is a lie, and the film-makers know it.
Truth Expelled
April 19, 2008 – 11:46 pm
Blake Stacey compiles examples of people being penalized for being truthful about evolutionary biology.
Meanwhile, for Dembski on expelled, see here and here. As usual, he’s being dishonest. For example, Dembski says
Controversy surrounds this film. Reviews tend to be extremely positive or extremely negative. Who likes it? People who think God may have had something to [...]
Henry Morris email re: ICR Texas accreditation hearing
April 19, 2008 – 8:38 pm
An email sent Thursday April 17 to supporters of the Institute for Creation Research from its CEO Henry Morris III, on next week’s hearing & decision by the Texas Higher Ed Board regarding the ICR’s application for accreditation (and hence, teacher certification) for its distance education masters degree in “science education,” has been posted on [...]
Florida legislation (pending) on Teaching Evolution
April 13, 2008 – 4:41 pm
Note that the interpretation by the staff analysts for the Florida House itself is dramatically more ominous than even the critical interpretation on The Panda’s Thumb.
Creationists’ new legistlative maneuvering: state “Academic Freedom” acts
April 6, 2008 – 4:25 pm
The latest wave of anti-bioscience activity in the legislative arenas in several states is the Introduction of “Academic Freedom” bills, such as the one introduced in Louisiana recently (and discussed by Casey Luskin at the Discovery Institute’s Evolution News and Views blog (with the illustration posted here at right).
The “Louisiana Academic Freedom Act” declares its [...]
