On December 11, 2002 the South Carolina Board of Education voted 10-5 to approve a number of new biology textbooks for local adoption across the state next fall. Several board members had objected to the way evolution was presented in some of the books, but a motion to remove two biology texts…
A Georgia newspaper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has published the results of its December 2002 "Voice of Atlanta" internet survey regarding evolution education. The results cannot be considered either accurate or precise, since they are not based on a random sample of the population…
On February 3 this year's session of the Oklahoma state legislature will open. Among the bills scheduled to be introduced at that time is House Bill 1504, sponsored by Rep. Bill Graves. This bill would require an evolution disclaimer in every textbook which discusses the subject. Similar…
The Wisconsin Badger Poll reports that of 514 state residents surveyed, 50% of them would support a law requiring "the biblical theory of creation as an alternative to the theory of evolution” according to a story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jan 26, 2003. Fifty percent said yes, 43%…
Dr. Elizabeth Stage, a member of the NCSE Board of Directors, has been appointed Director of the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, California. Currently the Director of Mathematics and Science Professional Development, Educational Outreach, University of California Office of the President, she…
On January 8, 2003, the Cobb County, Georgia, School District issued guidelines that clarify the new “Theories of Origins” policy. Although the “Theories of Origins” policy -- adopted by the Cobb County Board of Education on September 26, 2002 -- explicitly stated that it is “not to be…
The National Association of Science Writers has awarded Richard Hutton, producer of the NOVA/Clear Blue Skies Evolution series, its Science in Society award in the Television category. Evolution, first broadcast September 24-27, 2001, but rebroadcast in 2002, was honored “for…
The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific organization, recently announced the top ten key science and technology policy issues to emerge in 2002. Among them: 5) INTELLIGENT DESIGN--NOT SMART FOR SCIENCE CLASSES: Efforts to kick the…
Stating some of the same criticisms NCSE has raised about Intelligent Design, Carl Wieland of the young-earth creationist organization Answers in Genesis (AiG), criticizes the ID movement for not having a “‘story of the past” – of lacking a coherent narrative of “what happened”, and focusing only…