In a Mathematical Intelligencer opinion piece I wrote:

When Dr. [Michael] Behe was at the University of Texas El Paso in May of 1997 to give an invited talk, I told him that I thought he would find more support for his ideas in mathematics, physics, and computer science departments than in his own field. I know a good many mathematicians, physicists, and computer scientists who, like me, are appalled that Darwin’s explanation for the development of life is so widely accepted in the life sciences. Few of them ever speak out or write on this issue, however — perhaps because they feel the question is simply out of their domain.

This statement was certainly accurate at the time that I wrote it, in 2000. And while Michael Behe has found much more support for his ideas in the biological sciences since then, I believe it is still true today. Intelligent design critics would no doubt say this is because the issues really are “out of our domain,” and we simply don’t have the knowledge required for an informed opinion. A plausible explanation, but I don’t believe that is the real reason.  But neither is it because these questions require any advanced mathematics to decide.

I certainly understand why the opinions of mathematicians, physicists, and engineers — on either side of the controversy over biological origins — will never be taken as seriously as those of biologists, biochemists, and paleontologists. However, a short video I made, “A Mathematician’s View of Evolution,” explains why we do not need to be silent in the intelligent design versus Darwinism debate. Some things are better seen from a broader perspective.