Celebrating Darwin

This weeks issue of Science is devoted to speciation! The review articles are good historical accounts of different common topics revolving around speciation, written by well known researchers in the field. It's nice to see speciation take a place in Science during this year of Darwin. At the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, NY they are celebrating Darwin Days by inviting the public to listen to scientists and philosophers discuss and present on different topics of evolution. I wish I was in Iowa to see E.O. Wilson speak in Iowa City for their Dawin Days event. What a thrill that would be. I have seen his office door, but that is as close as I have gotten to the great ant researcher. Hopefully these types of activities for the pubic will help people understand evolution better. It's not likely to change the opinion of those who deny evolution, but may heighten the awareness and understanding of those those accepting. I think it's extremely difficult to change peoples opinion. A better approach is to target the youth through education.






In the same state that invites E.O. Wilson to speak at Darwin days, also proposed the "anti-evolution" bill, the Evolution Academic Freedom Act . This bill would allow teachers to teach whatever they want, and students to answer however they want on exams with regards to evolution/creationism/intelligent design. The following sections of the bill provide that teachers in the state's public schools and instructors in the state's public community colleges and state universities may "objectively present scientific information relevant to the full range of scientific views regarding biological and chemical evolution in connection with teaching any prescribed
curriculum regarding chemical or biological evolution" and that they "shall not be disciplined, denied tenure, terminated, or otherwise discriminated against" for doing so. Also, the bill adds, although students "shall be evaluated based upon their understanding of course materials through standard testing procedures," they "shall not be penalized for subscribing to a particular position or view regarding biological or chemical evolution." One step forward, two steps back. The Iowa State Education Association is against the bill, all regents are undecided. Currently the only support comes from the Iowa Christian Alliance.

It still amazes me that the majority of Americans don't "believe" in evolution. Evolution and religion are not diabolically opposed. I don't believe in evolution. I know that evolution is a real, biological phenomena. I think we need to change our verbiage away from belief of evolution. Hopefully things can change through education of evolution in creative and new ways. It won't happen overnight, but it could happen faster with some work. Harvard is hiring new PhD graduates to teach some of their courses. This kind of push to fill the classrooms with new vigor is one way new ideas can move through the education system faster.

I would like to know what people that deny evolution think about the Neanderthal genome being released soon. What do you make of Neanderthals? There are so many questions that could be raised here. Virus evolution; why must we get new flu shots every year? How can people accept some aspects of evolution and yet claim not to "believe" in evolution?

I digressed from my original intentions. My point is, Darwin was amazing and he deserves to be celebrated. Happy 200th Chuck.