Texas State Board of Education Chairman Don McLeroy has argued repeatedly that natural selection — he calls it “unguided natural processes” — doesn’t account for the diversity of life today. He also insists that understanding evolution isn’t really important to the study of the biological sciences. Well, Chairman McLeroy, meet the “swine flu.” Wendy Orent, author of “Plague: […]
evolution
Tincy Strikes Back
The brewing Republican civil war between religious extremists and traditional conservatives is heating up. Now Texas State Board of Education member Geraldine “Tincy” Miller of Dallas is sharply criticizing extremists who attacked her and fellow conservative Republicans during the recent debate over public school science curriculum standards. Ms. Miller is denouncing “ultra-religious extremists” who attacked board members for voting […]
Creationists Take It to Court in Texas
The Dallas-based Institute for Creation Research Graduate School has filed its long-threatened lawsuit against Texas’ commissioner of higher education, Raymund Paredes, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Last year the coordinating board rejected the ICR’s application to offer master’s of science education degrees in Texas. The board said the ICR — which argues that […]
Texas, Science and ‘Dog-Cats’ in the News
We suppose having a sense of humor is important when elected officials are turning your state into a national laughingstock. Religion Dispatches offers a shocking photo of the rare “dog-cat” that Texas State Board of Education member Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio, must have been talking about during the recent debate over teaching about evolution. Mercer […]
NPR Examines Texas Science Battle
Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, will talk about the battle over science curriculum standards for Texas public schools on NPR’s Science program Friday (April 10). The program airs from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern time. Check here for a list of stations carrying the program. Our friends at NCSE […]
