You are hereBack to the Future: Or, What Can We Learn from Louisiana's 2008 Science Education Act?Featuring: Barbara Forrest, Ph.D., Member, NCSE Board of Directors  Time: 10:30pm Date: February 13, 2011 Location: John Smith Hall La Sierra Community Center 5325 Engle Road Carmichael, California The Louisiana Science Education Act that was passed in 2008 is the product of an alliance between the Discovery Institute, a creationist think tank in Seattle, and the Louisiana Family Forum, the Louisiana arm of Focus on the Family. Governor Bobby Jindal, a close ally of the Louisiana Family Forum, served as the lynchpin of the LFF's plan to promote a version of the Discovery Institute's model legislative statute on "academic freedom." This model bill is really a creationist Trojan horse, and it is now the law in Louisiana. Sacramento Darwin Day Event For more information: and for tickets, visit the Sacramento Darwin Day website
Leap of Faith: Intelligent design's trajectory after DoverFeaturing: Joshua Rosenau  Time: 7:00pm Date: February 13, 2011 Location: Albany Community Ctr Celebrate Darwin Day at the Kol Hadash Bagel Brunch. The 2005 judicial ruling that intelligent design is creationism, and not constitutional to teach in public school science classes, closed the door on an era in the creation/evolution conflict. But even before the trial, creationists were already preparing their successor strategy. For more information: Check the Kol Hadash calendar for additional details and contact information. Back to the Future: Or, What Can We Learn from Louisiana's 2008 Science Education Act?Time: 2:30pm to 4:30pm Date: February 13, 2011 Location: John Smith Hall La Sierra Community Center 5325 Engle Road Carmichael, California The Louisiana Science Education Act that was passed in 2008 is the product of an alliance between the Discovery Institute, a creationist think tank in Seattle, and the Louisiana Family Forum, the Louisiana arm of Focus on the Family. Governor Bobby Jindal, a close ally of the Louisiana Family Forum, served as the lynchpin of the LFF's plan to promote a version of the Discovery Institute's model legislative statute on "academic freedom." This model bill is really a creationist Trojan horse, and it is now the law in Louisiana. Sacramento Darwin Day Event For more information: and for tickets, visit the Sacramento Darwin Day website
Leap of Faith: Intelligent design's trajectory after DoverTime: 11:00am to 1:00pm Date: February 13, 2011 Location: Albany Community Ctr Celebrate Darwin Day at the Kol Hadash Bagel Brunch. The 2005 judicial ruling that intelligent design is creationism, and not constitutional to teach in public school science classes, closed the door on an era in the creation/evolution conflict. But even before the trial, creationists were already preparing their successor strategy. For more information: Check the Kol Hadash calendar for additional details and contact information. American Antievolutionism: What Would Darwin Say?Featuring: Eugenie C. Scott, Ph.D.  Time: 11:00pm Date: February 11, 2011 Location: Room TBA University of Birmingham Birmingham, UK Since the 1925 Scopes trial there have been three themes around which American antievolutionists have focused their arguments. These  “pillars of creationism” are 1) that evolution is weak science imminently in danger of abandonment by the scientific community; 2) that evolution and Christian religion are inherently incompatible; and 3) that, in fairness, if evolution is taught, something to “balance” it must be included in the curriculum. How would Darwin have reacted to these three creationist arguments?For more information: Email Mark Pallen
American Antievolutionism: What Would Darwin Say?Time: 3:00pm Date: February 11, 2011 Location: Room TBA University of Birmingham Birmingham, UK Since the 1925 Scopes trial there have been three themes around which American antievolutionists have focused their arguments. These “pillars of creationism” are 1) that evolution is weak science imminently in danger of abandonment by the scientific community; 2) that evolution and Christian religion are inherently incompatible; and 3) that, in fairness, if evolution is taught, something to “balance” it must be included in the curriculum. How would Darwin have reacted to these three creationist arguments?For more information: Email Mark Pallen
Note From Evolution: Thanks! And So Long to All the Fishes!Featuring: Andrew J. Petto  Andrew J. PettoTime: 2:30am Date: February 9, 2011 Location: DuPage Unitarian Church 1828 (previously 4S535) Old Naperville Rd. Naperville IL 60563 Humanists of West Suburban Chicagoland's Darwin Day Celebration. Charles Darwin was neither the only nor the first scientist to propose an evolutionary model for the history and diversity of life one earth. However, his core idea — descent with modification — helped changed our perspective on the relationships among living things from a ladder to a family tree. Over 150 years later, scientists are still making new discoveries about life on earth based on Darwin's core idea, and that is the main reason that evolutionary science is universally accepted among practicing biologists in the 21st century. Of course, new discoveries may require us to think differently about common cultural ideas about the relationships among living things, and resistance to evolutionary ideas is strongest when it is in conflict with what people already "know" to be true. Come prepared to explore ideas, talk, share, play, and think! Strong opinions and incisive questions are encouraged! For more information: Contact: e-mail Andrew J. Petto
Note From Evolution: Thanks! And So Long to All the Fishes!Andrew J. PettoTime: 6:30pm Date: February 9, 2011 Location: DuPage Unitarian Church 1828 (previously 4S535) Old Naperville Rd. Naperville IL 60563 Humanists of West Suburban Chicagoland's Darwin Day Celebration. Charles Darwin was neither the only nor the first scientist to propose an evolutionary model for the history and diversity of life one earth. However, his core idea — descent with modification — helped changed our perspective on the relationships among living things from a ladder to a family tree. Over 150 years later, scientists are still making new discoveries about life on earth based on Darwin's core idea, and that is the main reason that evolutionary science is universally accepted among practicing biologists in the 21st century. Of course, new discoveries may require us to think differently about common cultural ideas about the relationships among living things, and resistance to evolutionary ideas is strongest when it is in conflict with what people already "know" to be true. Come prepared to explore ideas, talk, share, play, and think! Strong opinions and incisive questions are encouraged! For more information: Contact: e-mail Andrew J. Petto
Why Evolution is Difficult: An American PerspectiveFeaturing: Eugenie C. Scott, Ph.D. Time: 11:00pm Date: February 6, 2011 Location: QED Conference Picadilly Hotel Manchester, Great Britain Room: TBA The American antievolution movement is much more vigorous than that in Great Britain or Europe, but antievolutionism is nonetheless expanding outside of the U.S. The specific enthusiasms of “creation science” and “intelligent design” are American exports,  and products of American history and culture. Nonetheless, they have been proved to be remarkably robust colonizers, and are transplanted by conservative Christian missionaries, who are a universal phenomenon. Although primarily a Christian movement, antievolutionism has been seized upon by Islamists as well, and even by a marginal Hindu movement. The relationship between creation science and intelligent design will be explained, and examples of how these movements have challenged the teaching of evolution in the U.S. will be described.The Merseyside Skeptics Society QED Conference For more information: Visit the QED website or contact Michael Marshall: michael.marshall@qedcon.org
The Evolution of CreationismFeaturing: Steven Newton  Time: 10:30pm Date: February 6, 2011 Location: Contra Costa County Freethinkers & Atheists Meeting Ygnacio Valley Library 2661 Oak Grove Rd. Walnut Creek, California Creationism has evolved in response to changing times and legal setbacks, morphing into a myriad of allegedly-secular fronts, and broadening into larger attacks on the legitimacy of science itself. Newton traces the development of creationism, from the time of the Scopes trial, to “scientific creationism,” and the attempts to use science to support a literal reading of Genesis. The rise of “intelligent design” creationism will be examined, including how early statements by its proponents conflict with their later claims of ID as a strictly secular movement. Although the 2005 Dover trial might have seemed a death-blow to intelligent design, this talk explains how creationists have reorganized in a mosaic of anti-evolution strategies, such as “academic freedom” bills, one of which passed in Louisiana in 2008. In addition to Louisiana, Texas became a major anti-evolution battle ground during the 2009 revision of its science standards. The language of the Texas revisions and “academic freedom” bills reflect an expansion by creationists into other scientific areas, such as the denial of global warming. The rejection of evolution has evolved into a rejection of science itself. For more information: Please email Larry Hicok at terrycts@comcast.net Pages |
NCSE Speakers
NCSE staff members are available to give lectures and workshops on evolution and climate education, and controversies surrounding them, for teachers, clergy members, students, scientists, and the general public.
Please see our staff pages for details and suggested honoraria. |
