WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 17 Feb 06 Washington, DC

1. DOVER EFFECT: HAS INTELLIGENT DESIGN SUFFERED A MORTAL WOUND?

The Ohio Board of Education voted 11 to 4 on Tuesday to scrap a
requirement that "critical analysis of evolution" be taught in
biology classes. Ohio's "critical analysis" ploy for teaching
intelligent design had been hailed by The Discovery Institute as
a model for the entire nation. Rejection by the Education Board
came as a direct consequence of the Dover ruling by U.S. District
Court Judge John E. Jones III: teaching ID is unconstitutional
http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN05/wn122305.html . A Discovery
Institute spokesman publicly scoffed that the Dover ruling was
not binding elsewhere, but Judge Jones expanded the blast radius
by awarding damages to the parents who brought suit. That got
the attention of school boards. The Discovery Institute has bet
the farm on selling ID as science, but the Dover effect has
blunted it in California, Indiana and Wisconsin, and now Ohio.

2. EVOLUTION SUNDAY: CHRISTIAN CHURCHES HONORING CHARLES DARWIN?

Go on! Yes, Sunday was the 197th birthday of Charles Darwin. At
450 churches around the nation it was celebrated with sermons and
programs that mingle biological evolution and faith. Something
is happening. The public is getting an unprecedented exposure to
evolution in books, museum exhibits, and news programs. Coming
soon to a theater near you is Flock of Dodos. Film maker and
marine biologist Randy Olsen has made a movie about evolution and
intelligent design http://www.flockofdodos.com . It has what
fundamentalists all lack a sense of humor. And we owe it all
to the Discovery Institute and intelligent design.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the
University of Maryland, but they should be.

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