Category: Culture
How the Science Teachers’ Lobby Keeps Its Constituents in the Dark on Evolution
One of the most powerful education organizations in the country is the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), which stands alongside the rest of the Darwin lobby in holding that neo-Darwinian evolution should be taught in a one-sided, pro-evolution-only fashion. This is an extreme position, as it seeks to ban scientific criticisms of evolution. Due to its exclusive and dogmatic nature, the NSTA’s position is analogous to the extreme position advocated by some religious fundamentalists who would seek to ban teaching about evolution in public schools. But the Darwin lobby is smart. While it is trying to ban and censor the views of its opponents, the Darwin lobby has a particular narrative which tries to paint its opponents as the censors Read More ›
Want a Good Grade in Alison Campbell’s College Biology Course? Don’t Endorse Intelligent Design (Updated)
Why do we need academic freedom legislation like Tennessee’s HB 368? In case biology lecturer Alison Campbell decides to relocate to the United States. Sadly, even if she remains in New Zealand, there are already people here who don’t allow for the free flow of ideas, especially when it comes to discussion of evolution. Biology lecturer Alison Campbell at the University of Waikato in Hillcrest, New Zealand, exemplifies a mindset that is tragically common in academia. She openly boasts that if a student were to use standard ID arguments such as the irreducible complexity of the bacterial flagellum, that student would be “marked down”: If, for example, a student were to use examples such as the bacterial flagellum to advance Read More ›
Biology Teacher Survey Authors Want Darwin-Doubting Teachers “To Pursue Other Careers”
A survey in the journal Science hopes that teachers who doubt Darwinism will “pursue other careers.” Is this proof of institutionalized discrimination at work? “Honey, why are you seeking this promotion? Do you really want to swim with us big boys in management? You just stay in your place, sweetie.” If such words were spoken to a female employee in any American corporation, she would immediately be entitled to file a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination — and rightfully so. Such words would also reflect a corporate culture that seeks to marginalize certain employees. This form of institutionalized discrimination would seek to implicitly — or explicitly — discourage unwanted individuals from pursuing certain jobs. With that in mind, what do we Read More ›
Wallace Gets “Darwinized”
Purveyors of the reigning journalistic paradigm have taken trouble to marginalize the co-discoverer of evolution by natural selection — missing the true picture of the consummate empiricist.
Does Watson Have a Mind?
There has been much discussion about the recent appearance on Jeopardy of a computer named Watson. Watson has played against human contestants, and has provided uncannily accurate answers to some questions. Can Watson actually think? Does Watson have a mind?