In the News

The CNN report on the decisions by the Texas State Board of Education exhibited some "charged" language in favor of the Evolution side, but still contained some good, solid information.

A final 13-2 vote approved language that will be printed in textbooks beginning in 2011 and remain there for 10 years, CNN affiliate KPRC-TV in Houston reported:

"In all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental observation and testing, including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those explanations so as to encourage critical thinking by the students."

"This debate will impact whether students are taught to think critically and scientifically when you learn about evolution. It's important for students to learn how to think like scientists and not be forced to treat these controversial topics like a dogma," Casey Luskin, a policy analyst with the Discovery Institute, a group that questions the theory of evolution, said in an article in the San Antonio Express-News.

CNN link

There is a general critical thinking standard that applies across the board to all scientific subjects:

"in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations so as to encourage critical thinking by the student."

Also, each of the individual evolution indicators require students to "analyze and evaluate" evolution, including to "analyze and evaluate" core evolutionary claims like "natural selection," "mutations," and "common ancestry."

Language was adopted to "analyze and evaluate scientific explanations concerning any data of sudden appearance, stasis, and sequential nature of groups in the fossil record."

Language was adopted to "analyze and evaluate scientific explanations concerning the complexity of the cell."

Language was adopted to "analyze and evaluate the evidence regarding formation of simple organic molecules and their organization into long complex molecules having information such as the DNA molecule for self-replicating life."

The final film in Illustra Media's long-planned Intelligent Design trilogy, Darwin's Dilemma, is scheduled for release this summer and will be available for purchase at ARN.

This documentary will examine what many consider to be the most powerful refutation of Darwinian evolution-the Cambrian fossil record. Charles Darwin realized that the fossil evidence did not support his theory of gradual, step-by-step evolutionary development. He hoped that future generations of scientists would make the discoveries necessary to validate his ideas. Today, after more than 150 years of exploration fossil evidence of slow, incremental biological change has yet to be excavated. Instead, we find a picture of the rapid appearance of fully developed, complex organisms during the outset of the Cambrian geological era. Organisms that embody almost all of the major animal body plans that exist today. This remarkable explosion of life is best explained by the existence of a transcendent intelligence.

As with the first two Illustra Media ID documentaries, Unlocking the Mystery of Life and The Privileged Planet, Darwin's Dilemma is full of high quality animations to help the viewer visualize the amazing complexity and design of the Cambrian creatures. You can watch a trailer for Darwin's Dilemma is here.

ENV reports that an article in the San Antonio Express misstates some facts in its coverage of this week's upcoming Texas Board of Education vote on evolution. The article isn't all bad: It allows Discovery Institute's Casey Luskin to offer an opposing view, and Luskin's views are described accurately.

The article also erroneously claims that in 2005 the Kansas Board of Education "approved new science standards allowing the teaching of intelligent design, which posits that a supernatural creator is required to explain life's complexity."

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March Madness Sale!! The Darwin Bicentennial Celebration and the NCAA March Madness Tournament have us worked up into a frenzy. Now until the end of this month you can order Phillip Johnson's classic lecture "The Blind Watchmaker: A Skeptical Look at Darwinism" on DVD for only $15 including US shipping ($25 Foreign). That's a 40% discount off the retail price. Professor Johnson delivers this indictment on Darwin's theory at the University of Wales. This is a great time to add this memorable lecture to your personal collection and share it with family and friends during the 2009 Darwin Celebrations. Hurry though, the sales ends March 31. Order today.

No, you did not type the wrong URL to get to ARN. As you may have noticed we have redesigned the home page. The old page was a bit dated and cluttered. So we commissioned our webmaster to come up with a new clean look that would be easy to navigate. We hope the new tab design helps you find what you are looking for quickly. We have also upgraded our search engine at the top to help you find what we have to offer on a particular topic. If you have trouble finding something you use to visit on the old page, or find links that don't work, please let us know. The initial feedback has been very positive as revealed one of our web visitors below.

Having visited arn.org just yesterday morning, I was very pleasantly surprised this afternoon with the transformation. The new format's feel and function are nicely meshed, giving a compact homepage with edifying explorations beckoning at every turn. (I followed my mouse into some of those branching cyber-hallways and thoroughly enjoyed the tours.)

Quite beautiful! Fittingly indicative of very intelligent design!

Janice Francis-Smith, for the Journal Record, reports that Victor Hutchison, George Lynn Cross Research Professor Emeritus at the University of Oklahoma, said he doesn't agree with everything Richard Dawkins says.

But Hutchison and his colleagues fought to make sure Dawkins and other controversial figures are allowed to share their views at universities throughout Oklahoma. Ten years ago, Hutchison helped found Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education Inc., a nonprofit educational organization.

It was expected that someone would protest Dawkins' appearance, but unexpected that that protest would result in a $5,000 donation to OESE.

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As reported by AP in the Tulsa World, resolutions filed in the Oklahoma House are critical of plans by a renowned British evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins, to speak at the University of Oklahoma.

Richard Dawkins, a retired professor at Oxford University and author of "The God Delusion," was scheduled to speak March 6th as part of OU's Darwin 2009 Project to observe the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, a British naturalist who introduced the theory of evolution 150 years ago.

Resolutions filed earlier this week by Rep. Todd Thomsen, R-Ada, say the state House "strongly opposes" the invitation and that Dawkins' published statements on evolution and opinions about those who do not believe it "are contrary and offensive to the views and opinions of most citizens of Oklahoma."

They also urge the university "to engage in an open, dignified and fair discussion of the Darwinian theory of evolution and all other scientific theories."

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Nicole Winfield, for AP, reports that a Vatican-backed conference on evolution is under attack from people who weren't invited to participate: those espousing intelligent design.

The Discovery Institute, the main organization supporting intelligent design research, says it was shut out from presenting its views because the meeting was funded in part by the John Templeton Foundation, a major U.S. nonprofit that has criticized the intelligent design movement.

Organizers of the five-day conference at the Pontifical Gregorian University said Thursday that they barred intelligent design proponents because they wanted an intellectually rigorous conference on science, theology and philosophy to mark the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species."

While there are some Darwinian dissenters present, intelligent design didn't fit the bill, they said.

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