Happy Darwin Day everyone. Today, it’s 199 years since Charles Darwin was born and later this year it will be 149 years since he published The Origin of Species. So this year will only really be a practice for a far bigger celebration next year. Update: Removed extra 9 from 199. Thanks Murray!
Tag: science
Early Day Motion on Creationism in UK Schools
Following on from yesterday’s piece about “Truth” In Science trying to get their crackpot creationist theories taught in British schools, I see that MP Graham Stringer has tabled an Early Day Motion on this issue. You might consider popping over to WriteToThem and asking your MP to sign this EDM.
Rise of Creationism in UK Schools
From the front page of today’s Guardian: Dozens of schools are using creationist teaching materials condemned by the government as “not appropriate to support the science curriculum”, the Guardian has learned. The packs promote the creationist alternative to Darwinian evolution called intelligent design and the group behind them said 59 schools are using the information… Continue reading Rise of Creationism in UK Schools
Teaching Creationism
I always thought the Canadians were eminently sensible people. From the Ottawa Citizen: The Quebec ministry of education has told unlicensed Christian evangelical schools that they must teach Darwin’s theory of evolution and sex education or close their doors after an Outaouais school board complained the provincial curriculum wasn’t being followed. Not going far enough… Continue reading Teaching Creationism
Human Species ‘May Split in Two’
(The creationists are going to love this!) From the BBC (tho’ note that the research was carried out for the dodgy satellite channel Bravo – make of that what you will): Humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years’ time as predicted by HG Wells, an expert has said. Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of… Continue reading Human Species ‘May Split in Two’
Dawkins Speaking Tonight
This doesn’t seem to have been advertised particularly well, but Richard Dawkins is speaking at the Institute of Education this evening. I’ve just got tickets – which is pretty amazing given how impossible it was to get tickets the last time I tried. The talk at the LSE celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Selfish… Continue reading Dawkins Speaking Tonight
Guardian Heresy
The Guardian potentially launches itself into controversy today by including a free wallchart which claims to illustrate the history of life on Earth. This blasphemous poster includes the ridiculous claim that there was life on Earth over 500 million years ago. This is clearly nonsense as any sane (and righteous) person knows that the Earth… Continue reading Guardian Heresy
The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins’ new book, The God Delusion is published today and over the weekend the publicity machine started up. On Friday Dawkins was interviewed on Newnight. The interview will still be available from that site until tonight’s edition replaces it later today. The Newsnight site also has some extracts from the book and a discussion… Continue reading The God Delusion
Root Of All Evil Complaints Dismissed
Richard Dawkins’ programme The Root of All Evil? generated 23 complaints to Ofcom. The latest Ofcom bulletin is published today and it deals with these complaints (the relevant section starts on page 10). In summary, the complainants considered that the programme: showed a negative portrayal of religious beliefs and called religious faith “a virus”, and… Continue reading Root Of All Evil Complaints Dismissed
Creationism in Schools
I’ve just spotted this article from Tuesday’s Education Guardian which talks about the teaching of creationism in schools and concentrates on the visit to the UK of mad Australian creationist John Mackay. Of course, Richard Dawkins can always be relied on for a good quote: “The spread of Peter Vardy’s creationist beliefs into the academies… Continue reading Creationism in Schools