292:, wrote to the House of Representatives opposing the Bill, stating "There is virtually no scientific controversy among the overwhelming majority of researchers on the core facts of global warming and evolution. Asserting that there are significant scientific controversies about the overall nature of these concepts when there are none will only confuse students, not enlighten them."
256:, proposed that "teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of theories of biological and chemical evolution." This bill died when the Missouri legislative session ended on May 15, 2009.
306:
While anti-evolution members of the Texas SBOE have claimed their "weaknesses" campaign has nothing to do with faith, that "We're not putting religion in books", scientists have rebutted that these weaknesses are simply falsehoods. Scientists testified at the state board hearing in
November 2008 that
17:
Scientists are always probing the strengths and weakness of their hypotheses. That is the very nature of the enterprise. But evolution is no longer a hypothesis. It is a theory rigorously supported by abundant evidence. The weaknesses that creationists hope to teach as a way of refuting evolution are
226:
Board of
Trustees to adopt a policy which included teaching "the scientific strengths and weaknesses" of evolution. When this was rejected, he filed a complaint in federal court against the district, alleging that his civil rights were violated during the controversy, resulting in a summary judgment
114:
In
September 2008 the 21st Century Science Coalition released a petition to remove the phrase "strengths and weaknesses" from the public school guidelines for science classrooms in Texas. As of November 2008, 588 scientists at Texas universities and 777 other scientists across the state have signed
272:
introduced House Bill 368, which states that "teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught." On
February 16, 2011,
77:
This has led scientists and journalists to conclude that the phrase is a creationist tactic to introduce religion into science courses. The phrase was introduced by the SBOE in the late 1980s. Since then it has been promoted in
California and Missouri. In late 2008, it became a highly publicized
203:, who voted to keep "strengths and weaknesses" described his support for the language in explicitly religious terms: "It's an issue of freedom of religion." This view was contradicted by fellow social conservative board member Barbara Cargill, who stated "his isn’t about religion."
375:
Sunlight is the ultimate source of energy for life on Earth and provides the energy needed for organisms to live and reproduce. As the existence and evolution of life neither creates nor destroys this energy, it does not violate the first law of thermodynamics.
178:
In
January 2009, the Texas SBOE voted to remove the 'Strengths and Weaknesses" language, but its conservative faction, led by Don McLeroy, managed to pass several amendments to the science curriculum that opponents describe as opening the door to teaching
125:
as a "benign-sounding phrase", they mention that critics state that it is a new strategy to undermine the teaching of evolution, and for students to hear religious objections under the heading of scientific discourse. The then SBOE Chairman,
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Pasteur's law only disproved the (then current) idea that life forms such as mice, maggots, and bacteria can appear fully formed. It does not say that very primitive life cannot form from increasingly complex molecules.
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In the summer of 2008/2009 the Texas SBOE is determining the curriculum for the next decade, including deciding whether the "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution should be taught. While this language was described by
110:
In 2003, the "strengths and weaknesses" language in the standards was employed by members of the board in an unsuccessful attempt to dilute the treatment of evolution in the biology textbooks they were considering.
341:, "94% of Texas scientists indicated that claimed "weaknesses" are not valid scientific objections to evolution (with 87% saying that they “strongly disagree” that such weaknesses should be considered valid)."
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petition that stated "Teachers should be protected from being fired, harassed, intimidated, or discriminated against for objectively presenting the scientific strengths and weaknesses of
Darwinian theory."
616:
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Supporters of the 'strengths and weaknesses of evolution' language have proposed the following as weaknesses of evolution, and the scientific community has responded with the following rebuttals:
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The lesson we draw from these shenanigans is that scientifically illiterate boards of education should leave the curriculum to educators and scientists who know what constitutes a sound education.
107:
The "strengths and weaknesses" language was included in the curriculum standards in Texas to appease creationists when the SBOE first mandated the teaching of evolution in the late 1980s.
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themselves antiquated, long since filed away as solved. The religious faith underlying creationism has a place, in church and social studies courses. Science belongs in science classrooms.
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introduced an identical bill, Senate Bill 893. The House Bill was passed by the House
Education Committee on March 29, 2011, and referred to the House Calendar and Rules Committee.
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dentist from
Central Texas, denied that the language "is subterfuge for bringing in creationism." McLeroy views the debate as being between "two systems of science" — "a
155:
stated in an editorial that the Texas SBOE has a "long history of trying to water down the science curriculum with criticisms of evolution that lack scientific credibility."
183:
that might lead students to reject it. These included one amendment that compels science teachers to teach about aspects of the fossil record that do not neatly fit with
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described the amendments as "mak no sense to me ... It's a clear indication that the chairman of the state school board doesn’t understand the science." Board member
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advocates to encourage educators to teach fallacious information — that a controversy exists among scientists over whether evolution has occurred.
74:, or in the data that it explains, and views the examples that have been given in support of the phrasing as being without merit and long refuted.
391:
that do not exchange matter or energy with their surroundings. Both the Earth and all living organisms are open systems. For further details see
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187:, but rather show the relatively sudden appearance of some species while others seem to remain unchanged for millions of years. Prominent
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Dan Foster, who stated that "erious students will not come to study in our universities if Texas is labeled scientifically backward".
1202:
1207:
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EVOLUTION, CREATIONISM & PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Surveying What Texas
Scientists Think about Educating Our Kids in the 21st Century
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issue as the Texas SBOE held public hearings on whether this language should be removed from the curriculum. According to the
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that would require the Texas SBOE to restore the "strengths and weaknesses" language in the state science standards.
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system". These views have alarmed Texas educators, including former chairman of the department of medicine at the
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science lead teacher, are concerned that the mention of "weaknesses" in the curriculum standards has had a
1179:(and link to audio file) of a lecture given by Texas SBOE Chairman Don McLeroy on Evolution and Creationism
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evolution is a scientific theory, not a hypothesis and thus does not have weaknesses.
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Texas university scientists criticize attempts to water down evolution instruction
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Rebuttal of allegations that past evidence for evolution has been overturned
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Scientists: Board proposals undermine evolution teaching, Gary Charrer,
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http://ncse.com/news/2011/02/second-antievolution-bill-tennessee-006496
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that should be taught for a balanced treatment of the subject of
38:" is a controversial phrase that has been proposed for (and in
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What Happens When You Challenge A School's Science Curriculum
39:
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Some scientists, including Andrew Ellington, professor of
50:. Those proposing the phrase, such as the chairman of the
592:
List of scientific societies rejecting intelligent design
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On March 13, 2009 a bill (HB 4224) was introduced in the
144:
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
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Professors debate creationism's place in public schools
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Professors debate creationism's place in public schools
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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6227807.html
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Split Outcome in Texas Battle on Teaching of Evolution
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Reports of the National Center for Science Education
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Concern mounting about Texas state science standards
252:
In February 2009, House Bill 656, introduced in the
610:
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
295:
286:
American Association for the Advancement of Science
345:Specific weaknesses and their scientific rebuttals
1133:Look who’s determining science standards in Texas
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1114:Texas: Your “Weaknesses” Are Weak — And Old, Too
989:Letter to Representatives DeBerry and Naismith
575:Opponents of Evolution Adopting a New Strategy
393:Evolution and the second law of thermodynamics
1165:Spontaneous Generation and the Origin of Life
1109:
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1010:
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820:Evolution teaching provision fails first test
1048:Study evolution facts and judge for yourself
1095:It’s right to ask questions about evolution
961:A second antievolution bill in Tennessee],
656:, 21st Century Science Coalition, cited in
58:, purport that there are weaknesses in the
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1065:Creationism and the Laws of Thermodynamics
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302:Creation and evolution in public education
224:Roseville Joint Union High School District
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719:What is "Intelligent Design" Creationism?
632:"Strengths and weaknesses" nixed in Texas
475:Evolution is only a theory and not a fact
974:Antievolution bills in Tennessee advance
288:and Executive Publisher of the journal
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1123:
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933:Antievolution legislation in Tennessee
855:"Weaknesses" by the back door in Texas
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978:National Center for Science Education
963:National Center for Science Education
937:National Center for Science Education
875:National Center for Science Education
859:National Center for Science Education
739:National Center for Science Education
723:National Center for Science Education
687:The Discovery Institute Targets Texas
628:National Center for Science Education
623:, Sandhya Bathija, November 20, 2008;
570:
568:
566:
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479:Evolution is both a theory and a fact
438:Alleged frauds and forgeries such as
284:, the Chief Executive Officer of the
218:In 2003 and 2004, creationist lawyer
80:National Center for Science Education
36:Strengths and weaknesses of evolution
921:Antievolution bill dead in Missouri
770:Don't water down science curriculum
606:Those so concluding have included:
416:Evolution is unable to explain the
13:
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430:Possible causes of the “explosion”
266:Tennessee House of Representatives
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1224:
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1015:It's time for education to evolve
689:, Louisiana Coalition for Science
643:It's time for education to evolve
254:Missouri House of Representatives
1203:Intelligent design controversies
337:In a survey commissioned by the
296:Educational and scientific value
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660:, Lauren Rausch and Rylee Nye,
387:The second law only applies to
227:against him in September 2007.
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519:Intelligent design in politics
509:Critical Analysis of Evolution
504:Creation–evolution controversy
208:Texas House of Representatives
88:Critical Analysis of Evolution
64:evidence that life has evolved
52:Texas State Board of Education
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1208:Discovery Institute campaigns
1070:Volume 25, issue 5-6 pp 31–32
539:
213:
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383:second law of thermodynamics
259:
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1193:Intelligent design movement
1156:Index to Creationist Claims
699:, Editorial, June 7, 2008,
680:Intelligent Design Movement
614:Dinosaurs Spotted In Texas!
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465:Evolution is not observable
425:How real was the explosion?
371:first law of thermodynamics
247:
10:
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755:Texas Christian University
662:Texas Christian University
469:Observability of evolution
455:
348:
299:
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806:, James C. McKinley Jr.,
173:condemning the amendments
1099:San Antonio Express-News
1080:CB000: Law of Biogenesis
1063:Steven L. Morris (2005)
1052:San Antonio Express-News
824:San Antonio Express-News
775:San Antonio Express-News
514:Free Speech on Evolution
152:San Antonio Express-News
1033:, Texas Freedom Network
697:The Cons of Creationism
596:Objections to evolution
590:See also, for example,
552:The Cons of Creationism
404:Evolution violates the
381:Evolution violates the
369:Evolution violates the
351:Objections to evolution
318:, and Robert Dennison,
275:Tennessee State Senator
222:sought to persuade the
181:objections to evolution
132:Young Earth creationist
24:The Cons of Creationism
1173:of Texas SBOE meetings
877:, September 11th, 2007
634:, December 24th, 2008;
494:Academic Freedom bills
176:
149:In December 2008, the
32:
1198:Religion and politics
900:magazine, Winter 2008
534:Teach the controversy
456:Further information:
339:Texas Freedom Network
334:on science teachers.
264:On February 9, 2011,
235:In February 2008 the
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84:Teach the controversy
15:
1171:Archived Audio Files
1141:Panda's Thumb (blog)
725:, October 17th, 2008
667:, 25 November 2008;
529:Stand up for science
364:Scientific rebuttal
82:, the phrase, like '
1160:TalkOrigins Archive
1143:, November 21, 2008
1084:TalkOrigins Archive
1017:, Lisa Falkenberg,
707:, January 25, 2009.
654:Scientist statement
316:University of Texas
237:Discovery Institute
231:Discovery Institute
189:University of Texas
60:theory of evolution
1167:by John S. Wilkins
1118:Wesley R. Elsberry
1101:, 14 December 2008
1054:, 12 December 2008
994:2021-01-26 at the
896:, Larry Caldwell,
892:2016-10-07 at the
861:, March 14th, 2009
845:, January 23, 2009
810:, January 23, 2009
808:The New York Times
794:, January 25, 2009
792:The New York Times
760:, 25 November 2008
705:The New York Times
693:The New York Times
619:2008-11-21 at the
556:The New York Times
458:Icons of Evolution
418:Cambrian Explosion
191:biology professor
170:The New York Times
122:The New York Times
92:intelligent design
28:The New York Times
1019:Houston Chronicle
871:Over in Roseville
842:Houston Chronicle
826:, 23 January 2009
822:, Gary Scharrer,
778:, 1 December 2008
678:Historian of the
675:, October 1, 2008
639:Houston Chronicle
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406:Law of Biogenesis
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72:scientific theory
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758:Daily Skiff
665:Daily Skiff
239:created an
201:San Antonio
136:creationist
128:Don McLeroy
62:and in the
56:Don McLeroy
1187:Categories
1177:Transcript
540:References
300:See also:
214:California
197:Ken Mercer
185:gradualism
140:naturalist
103:Texas SBOE
1213:Denialism
278:Bo Watson
270:Bill Dunn
260:Tennessee
68:evolution
48:curricula
992:Archived
890:Archived
617:Archived
488:See also
361:Argument
248:Missouri
162:—
54:(SBOE),
46:science
21:—
444:Haeckel
320:Houston
314:at the
290:Science
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