'breathtaking inanity'

According to a recent study conducted by the National Science Foundation, one in eight U.S. high school biology teachers presents creationism or intelligent design in a positive light in the classroom, despite a federal court's recent ban against it.

our new sister countries

According to one study conducted by the National Geographic Society, America's population shares views towards evolution with Latvia, Cyprus, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania, among others. Sweden, France, Japan, UK, and Denmark of course are at the opposite end of the spectrum.

here we go again

It appears that our creationist and intelligent design friends have found a new forum: Texas. Ars Technica reports that last week the Texas Education Agency's Director of Science was forced out of her job for allegedly not "remaining neutral" over the teaching of evolution in schools. Christine Comer, a former science teacher, had her nine-year stint as Director of Science ended as a result of an e-mail she sent to colleagues, notifying them of an upcoming talk being given by Barbara Forrest. Forrest is the author of Inside Creationism's Trojan Horse, a book that details the movement to have intelligent design taught as science in America's schools.

This bothers me because it is of course absurb to permit the teaching of creationism in our schools, but it also bothers me because the creationists just won't shut up and go away. And Alabama is probably next. Alabama schools already allow disclaimers in biology textbooks that describe evolution as "a controversial theory" and recently the state became the first in the union to approve a textbook for a course about the Bible in its public schools. What's next, another monument in the Supreme Court?

of course

Best picture ever from the recently-opened Creation Museum in Kentucky.

And in other news, Intelligent Design tries rebranding.

I am now utterly convinced that evolution is wrong

shocked, but not surprised

A recent Gallup poll has confirmed that the GOP has been effectively appropriated by the religious right. The poll found that the majority of Republicans in the United States do not believe the theory of evolution is true and do not believe that humans evolved over millions of years from less advanced forms of life.

sigh.

wow. I mean wow.

from the Creationist Museum.

Jesus vs Darwin

Jesus! vs Darwin!
Originally uploaded by The Searcher.

naturalism v. supernaturalism, part II

Go Kansas go. You've certainly come a long way. But there's still a very long road ahead for all of us.

oh Alabama

This is a map that first appeared in 2002 in Scientific American, and was based on data collected by Lawrence S. Lerner of California State University at Long Beach. Think it's gotten any better since then?

gravity is still just a THEORY

Here are some suggested stickers to put on high school science textbooks in lieu of the ones currently placed there.

I'd put this on my car but someone would hit me

exactly