The distinguished philosopher of mind Jerry Fodor died on November 29, 2017, at the age of 82, according to The New York Times (November 30, 2017). Often described as the leading philosopher of mind of his day, Fodor was particularly well-known for his contributions to the modularity of…
Thanks in part to NCSE's efforts, it was a bad year for those who would make it easier to miseducate kids about science, with one major exception: Florida. Signed into law in June 2017, Florida's House Bill 989 allows any county resident—not just any parent with a child in the…
At 9:30 p.m. on a recent work day, I called a reporter who had just e-mailed me, asking for comment on the latest developments with the New Mexico science standards. “Don’t you ever sleep?” he joked. I chuckled. Ten hours later, at 7:30 a.m. the next day, a different reporter called me, asking…
NCSE's Glenn Branch and Ann Reid's "50 Years Ago: Repeal of Tennessee's 'Monkey Law'" was selected for inclusion in "The Science Behind the Debates," a special edition of Scientific American dated December 2017.Taking the fiftieth anniversary of the repeal of Tennessee's Butler Act in…
The distinguished paleoanthropologist Alan Walker died on November 20, 2017, at the age of 79, according to a November 21, 2017, Facebook post from his wife Pat Shipman. A specialist in primate and human evolution, concentrating mainly on the Neogene record from East Africa, Walker was a…
NCSEteach is a unique resource for science teachers. The monthly NCSEteach newsletter goes out to over 6,000 teachers nationwide and the Scientist in the Classroom program fosters collaborations between professional scientists and educators. This year, three teachers were awarded a rafting trip…
Kenneth R. Miller, president of NCSE's board of directors and professor of biology at Brown University, features in a ten-minute documentary about current threats to evolution education, produced by Retro Report and hosted at The New York Times. Also appearing is activist Zack Kopplin, a…
NCSE is pleased to offer a free preview (PDF) of James T. Costa's Darwin's Backyard: How Small Experiments Led to a Big Theory (W. W. Norton, 2017). The preview consists of the preface, in which Costa explains his goal to describe "how we can draw upon Darwin in exploring nature and…
2017 has been a great year for the Science Booster Club Program. Thanks to the support of our donors, the efforts of our volunteers, and the enthusiasm of our staff, we’ve succeeded in our national expansion. From serving over 50,000 people in Iowa in 2016, we’re scheduled to serve over 120,000…