Evolution vs. Intelligent Design: Lessons from the American Front Lines

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Evolution vs. Intelligent Design Lessons from
the American Front Lines

• Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D.
• Ecsite Conference Session on Teaching Evolution
  (N28)
• May 29, 2008 1400-1530 pm

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We have a problem in the United States (at least)

• The science-society relationship is experiencing
  some significant tension
• Science is encroaching on core human values

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This is not a totally new problem

• Is the world flat or round?
• Should scientists work on nuclear weapons?
• Vaccination
• Recombinant DNA

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Current scientific issues that abut against core
values

• Embryonic stem cell research
• Studying personal topics
• Sex
• Genetics of behavior
• Neuroscience mind/body issues
• Intelligent Design versus evolution in science
  classrooms and science museums

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Many Americans have reservations about science
Science and Engineering Indicators, 2006
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Science and Faith
Source Eurobarometer, 2005
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Intelligent Design
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Intelligent design claims to believe in gradual
change

• But a supernatural being guided the process
• Claims to be a scientific, alternative theory to
  evolution
• Advocates argue teach both theories in science
  classes
• It isnt a theory

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It is the modern version of creationism

• But does not argue biblical literalism
• An intelligent designer put it all in clearly
  outlined motion

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Evolution of intelligent design

• 1859 Origin of the Species
• 1923 First anti-evolution (in schools) bills
  past
• 1925 Scopes trial in Tennessee
• 1925-1930 35 new anti-evolution bills
  introduced
• 1947-1948 - Supreme Court bans religion in public
  schools
• 1950 - Pope accepts evolution
• 1981 Equal time for creationism bills adopted
  in LA and AK
• 1987 Supreme Court overturns LA bill
• 1990 - Intelligent design begins to gain ground
• 1999 Kansas stops teaching evolution (reversed
  in 2001)
• 2005 Federal Court (in Dover, PA case) rejects
  Intelligent Design as religion

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New Academic Freedom legislation

• Florida
• Louisiana
• Missouri
• Michigan
• Alabama

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Intelligent design initiative eruption
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Issue has not been limited to the schools

• IMAX Theaters
• Museums
• Commercial film

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Creation Museum, Petersburg, Kentucky
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How could this be happening in the modern US?
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Source Miller, et. al. Science 313, 765 (2006).
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What to do?

• Typical strategy is to advocate more public
  education about science

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But we cant just educate our way out of it

• People do understand much of what were saying
• They dont like it
• Conflict with core values wins out over societal
  benefits

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We must go beyond public education/understanding
Public Engagement
(Public Understanding )
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Communicating
Communicating to the public
with the public
This involves changing the nature of the
communication
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Public engagement can be done in a variety of ways

• Public forums/town meetings
• Most dont work well
• Visits with community groups
• Small group, problem-solving sessions
• Exploiting natural opportunities
• Science museums and centers
• Physicians offices
• Over the neighbors fence

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AAAS Glocal strategy
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Working with local opinion leaders and
resources(AAAS Glocal Strategy)

• Local media and op-eds
• Clergy
• School officials
• Local government leaders/politicians
• Science museums and centers
• Community groups
• Town meetings

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Intelligent design initiative eruption
AAAS intervention
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Intelligent design initiative eruption
AAAS intervention
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There has been some progress at the local level

• Dover, PA, case
• Ohio school board reversed requirement on
  curriculum criticizing evolution
• Wisconsin bill to require teaching evolution
• Kansas Manhattan-Ogden School Districts refusal
  to adopt new standards
• Failure of Utah to pass anti-evolution curriculum
  bill
• Oklahoma bill died in committee
• South Carolina education standards (including
  evolution) affirmed
• Failure in Nevada to amend constitution to
  require teaching strengths and weaknesses of
  evolution
• Failure of some Academic Freedom bills

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Lessons from the ID/Evolution wars
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Lessons from the ID/Evolution wars

• Respond within the news cycle
• Go glocal
• Things need to be made personally meaningful to
  people
• Never debate an ideologue
• Only we care about the integrity of science
• If people dont like what science is showing,
  they do feel free to ignore or deny it
• We need to teach about the enterprise of science,
  not just content

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Dont let ideologues redefine science!
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One cant deal with the extremes

• Evangelical fundamentalists
• Evangelical atheists
• Militant agnostics

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One can work with

• Undecideds
• Rational middle

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The fact that some scientists believe something
does not automatically make it scientific..
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Limits of science

• Explanations must be based on naturally occurring
  phenomena
• Natural causes of events in the natural world
• Any scientific explanation has to be testable

National Academy of Sciences and Institute of
Medicine, 2008
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Science and religion address separate aspects of
human experience

• Science can neither prove nor disprove religion

National Academy of Sciences and Institute of
Medicine, 2008
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Ultimate lesson

• Never pit science against religion!

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