Science, Evolution, and Creationism
Encyclopedia
Science, Evolution, and Creationism is a publication by the United States National Academy of Sciences
. The book's authors intended to provide a current and comprehensive explanation of evolution
and "its importance in the science classroom". The book, published on January 3, 2008, is available as a free PDF
file on the National Academies Press
website.
Science, Evolution, and Creationism differs from prior National Academy of Sciences publications regarding creation and evolution in public education and the creation-evolution controversy
; it is intended "specifically for the lay public", devoting much of its space to "explaining the differences between science and religion, and asserting that acceptance of evolution does not require abandoning belief in God." The book provides statements from notable biologists and clergy members to support the claim that "attempts to pit science and religion against each other create controversy where none needs to exist."
The authors of Science, Evolution, and Creationism, who include Francisco J. Ayala
and Bruce Alberts
, highlight developments in evolutionary biology and its relevance to the study of emerging infectious diseases, the 2006 discovery of the transitional fossil
Tiktaalik
, and the application of evolutionary theory in many areas of science and engineering beyond biology.
The book was released as several states, particularly Texas
and Florida
, considered revisions in state science standards.
organization, the Discovery Institute
, states that Science, Evolution, and Creationism "completely misrepresent[s] intelligent design" and "exaggerates the success of evolution". Tony Perkins
, president of the Family Research Council
, argues that Science, Evolution, and Creationism "ignores" criticism of "Darwinism
".
In an interview on NBC
, Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Center for Science Education
, called the publication "a definitive statement from a leading scientific authority about the scientific bankruptcy of intelligent design creationism."
Praise for the publication was received from Lawrence Krauss and editorials in Nature
, New Scientist
, and several newspapers.
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
. The book's authors intended to provide a current and comprehensive explanation of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
and "its importance in the science classroom". The book, published on January 3, 2008, is available as a free PDF
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
file on the National Academies Press
National Academies Press
National Academies Press was created by the United States National Academies, to publish the reports issued by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. It publishes nearly 200 books a year on a wide range...
website.
Science, Evolution, and Creationism differs from prior National Academy of Sciences publications regarding creation and evolution in public education and the creation-evolution controversy
Creation-evolution controversy
The creation–evolution controversy is a recurring cultural, political, and theological dispute about the origins of the Earth, humanity, life, and the universe....
; it is intended "specifically for the lay public", devoting much of its space to "explaining the differences between science and religion, and asserting that acceptance of evolution does not require abandoning belief in God." The book provides statements from notable biologists and clergy members to support the claim that "attempts to pit science and religion against each other create controversy where none needs to exist."
The authors of Science, Evolution, and Creationism, who include Francisco J. Ayala
Francisco J. Ayala
Francisco José Ayala Pereda is a Spanish-American biologist and philosopher at the University of California, Irvine. He is a former Dominican priest, ordained in 1960, but left the priesthood that same year. After graduating from the University of Salamanca, he moved to the US in 1961 to study for...
and Bruce Alberts
Bruce Alberts
Bruce Michael Alberts is an American biochemist known for his work in science public policy and as an original author of the Molecular Biology of the Cell...
, highlight developments in evolutionary biology and its relevance to the study of emerging infectious diseases, the 2006 discovery of the transitional fossil
Transitional fossil
A transitional fossil is any fossilized remains of a lifeform that exhibits characteristics of two distinct taxonomic groups. A transitional fossil is the fossil of an organism near the branching point where major individual lineages diverge...
Tiktaalik
Tiktaalik
Tiktaalik is a genus of extinct sarcopterygian from the late Devonian period, with many features akin to those of tetrapods . It is an example from several lines of ancient sarcopterygian "fish" developing adaptations to the oxygen-poor shallow-water habitats of its time, which led to the...
, and the application of evolutionary theory in many areas of science and engineering beyond biology.
The book was released as several states, particularly Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, considered revisions in state science standards.
Critical response
The pro-intelligent designIntelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
organization, the Discovery Institute
Discovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
, states that Science, Evolution, and Creationism "completely misrepresent[s] intelligent design" and "exaggerates the success of evolution". Tony Perkins
Tony Perkins (politician)
Anthony Richard "Tony" Perkins is president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian think tank and public policy foundation based in Washington, D.C...
, president of the Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
, argues that Science, Evolution, and Creationism "ignores" criticism of "Darwinism
Darwinism
Darwinism is a set of movements and concepts related to ideas of transmutation of species or of evolution, including some ideas with no connection to the work of Charles Darwin....
".
In an interview on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Center for Science Education
National Center for Science Education
The National Center for Science Education is a non-profit organization based in Oakland, California affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It is the United States' leading anti-creationist organization, and defends the teaching of evolutionary biology and opposes...
, called the publication "a definitive statement from a leading scientific authority about the scientific bankruptcy of intelligent design creationism."
Praise for the publication was received from Lawrence Krauss and editorials in Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
, New Scientist
New Scientist
New Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
, and several newspapers.
External links
- Science, Evolution, and Creationism full text online from the National Academies Press