Whether the topic is embryos or evolution, religious interests sometimes try to influence how science is taught and practiced. Frequently the perceived conflict between religion and science is understood as a debate about matters of factual observation. The author finds that the difference between the claims of religion and of science can be far…

While giving a presentation on his book about living things and the functions they perform ("The Tinkerer's Accomplice"), this author was faced with a heckler who asked intrusive "questions" and demanded "clarifications" that were intended not to illuminate the discussion, but rather to disrupt and distract from the presentation. The author…

In this article, the author describes the Creation Museum, founded by Ken A. Ham and designed as a rebuttal to the evolutionary view taken by other natural history museums. He discusses the socially conservative roots of the museum's exhibits, and presents Ham's answers to questions about the museum. The message of the museum is that the Bible is…

Last summer, Governor Bobby Jindal signed the Louisiana Science Education Act into law. Although the name of the bill sounds innocuous, it is backed by the intelligent-design movement and will no doubt lead to yet another court case on teaching evolution and creationism in school and college classrooms. After all, courts and classrooms have served…

Jeffrey M. Schwartz, a research professor of psychiatry at the University of California at Los Angeles, presented a paper titled "Intelligence Is an Irreducible Aspect of Nature" at a secret conference on intelligent-design, held at Biola University, which describes itself as "a global center for Christian thought." Dr. Schwartz argued that his…

Politics and science have become too much entangled in the controversy over creationism and the teaching of evolution in the public schools. Political opinion is irrelevant when the scientific principles underlying a particular issue are being discussed. (MSE)

Although Wake Forest University recently dissolved its ties with the Baptist church, it is committed to maintaining its Baptist tradition while emphasizing high-quality teaching and academic freedom and increasing diversity in its student population. (MSE)

State and Supreme Court litigation perpetuates the controversy over the role of creationism in the science classroom, and surveys reveal that many Americans continue to doubt the scientific validity of evolution theory and believe in equal classroom time for creationism. (MSE)