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Welcome!

to the homepage of the National Center for Science Education, Inc. --NCSE -- a nonprofit, tax-exempt membership organization working to defend the teaching of evolution against sectarian attack. We are a nationally-recognized clearinghouse for information and advice to keep evolution in the science classroom and "scientific creationism" out. While there are organizations that oppose "scientific creationism" as part of their general goals (such as good science education, or separation of church and state), NCSE is the only national organization that specializes in this issue. When teachers, parents, school boards, the press and others need information and help, they turn to NCSE.

While most of NCSE's work involves defending evolution against attacks, we also work to increase public understanding of evolution and science "as a way of knowing." We also have programs to help teachers who want to improve their teaching of evolution. Here you'll find information and resources for all these activities.

The following events have occurred over the past 60 days. See the Press Room for older news items.

Branch opinion piece appears in Seed NCSE News 
NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch contributed an opinion piece to the latest issue of Seed, "a popular science magazine for our times aimed at smart, young, and curious men and women who are passionate about science and its fast-changing place in our culture." Branch discusses the continuing antievolutionist ploy of calling for "teaching the ...
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Branch opinion piece in Seed

June 4, 2004
New Science Standards Adopted in Minnesota Minnesota 
MidwestOn its last working day, the Minnesota legislature adopted new science standards for the state. In one of their last acts before adjourning on May 16, both houses voted for the standards as forwarded to them by the Department of Education in December, 2003. They thus approved the standards as written and submitted by a committee of educators and ci ...
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June 2, 2004
Bills Die When Legislature Adjourns Minnesota 
MidwestWhen the Minnesota legislature adjourned on May 16 two bills based on the "Santorum amendment" to the federal No Child Left Behind education act finally died. House File 2003 and Senate File 1714 were companion bills, identical in language, introduced early in the year. Each was referred to the appropriate education committee, but neither made any ...
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May 27, 2004
Two "Equal Time" Bills Die in State Legislature Missouri 
MidwestMay 14 was the last day of the current session of the Missouri House of Representatives. The session ended without any action being taken on House Bill 911 or House Bill 1722, two versions of an attempt to mandate "equal treatment" for intelligent design and evolution in science instruction. The bills are therefore dead for this year.

May 19, 2004
Alabama legislature lets SB336 die without a vote Alabama 
SoutheastOn May 17, the final day of the 2004 legislative session, the Alabama state House adjourned without voting on SB336, a bill that would have allowed Alabama's teachers to present "alternative theories" of "biological or physical origins." Although SB336 was on the agenda for the final day, negotiations on the annual budget lasted into the eveni ...
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TuscaloosaNews.com: Legislation that died on final day of session

May 18, 2004
Pro-science candidates triumph in Montana Montana 
NorthwestAfter the May 4, 2004, school board election in Darby, Montana, the proposed "objective origins" policy is likely to be dead in the water.

The policy, introduced by a local minister, encourages teachers to help their students "analyze scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific theories, including the theory of evolution." ...
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Story in the Missoulian

May 5, 2004
"Academic Freedom Act" goes to floor of Alabama state House Alabama 
SoutheastOn April 29, 2004, the Alabama state House Education Committee passed SB336 out of committee by a vote of 9-1, and placed it on the calendar for the full House. The bill, entitled the "Academic Freedom Act," aims to give public school teachers "the affirmative right and freedom to present scientific, historical, theoretical, or evidentiary informa ...
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Montgomery Advertiser story

May 5, 2004
Oklahoma textbook bill passes -- without disclaimer Oklahoma 
South CentralOn April 28, 2004, the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed House Bill 2194 -- a bill governing textbook purchase contracts -- by a vote of 96–0. Conspicuously absent from the bill as passed was the disclaimer provision added to the bill on February 23.

The disclaimer provision would have required textbooks that discuss evolution to ...
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Oklahoma Legislature

April 29, 2004
Decision to remove evolution from Italian schools reversed NCSE News 
According to a story in the April 28, 2004 La Repubblica, the largest newspaper in Italy, the decision by the Minister of Education and Research, Letizia Moratti, to drop evolution from the science curriculum in middle school has ...
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Story in The Scientist

April 28, 2004
"Academic Freedom Act" progresses in Alabama Alabama 
SoutheastOn April 8, the Alabama state Senate passed SB336, the "Academic Freedom Act," by a vote of 28-0. The bill gives teachers at public institutions "the affirmative right and freedom to present scientific, historical, theoretical, or evidentiary information pertaining to alternative theories or points of view on the subject of origins" and gives stude ...
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Engrossed version of SB336

April 16, 2004
 National Center for Science Education · 420 40th Street Suite 2
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New Creationism/ Evolution Book

By Eugenie C. Scott. Available July 2004. Excellent textbook choice.


Greenwood Press
See the Canyon with Scott and Gish

Make plans to see the Grand Canyon with Eugenie Scott and Alan ("Gish") Gishlick in 2005! The trip is scheduled for July 30-August 6, 2005.

More information...
Understanding Evolution

The National Center for Science Education and the University of California Museum of Paleontology are pleased to announce that the Understanding Evolution web site is now live. Check it out!

Understanding Evolution
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Unlocking Critique

A collection of information about and critiques of the "intelligent design" video Unlocking the Mystery of Life

Unlocking Critique
ICONS OF EVOLUTION?

In Icons of Evolution, Jonathan Wells attacked textbooks for presenting what he claims is a systematic pattern of misinformation about the evidence for evolution. "ICONS OF EVOLUTION?", written by NCSE Postdoctoral Scholar Alan D. Gishlick, critically analyzes his claims in detail, concluding that "the scholarship of Icons is substandard and the conclusions of the book are unsupported."
Now available in PDF format!


ICONS OF EVOLUTION?
Project Steve

A parody of the long-standing creationist tradition of amassing lists of "scientists who doubt evolution" or "scientists who dissent from Darwinism."

See what everyone is talking about.
Join the NCSE News List Serve

NCSE has a news list to keep you informed on the latest developments in the creationism/evolution controversy.

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