EvolutionBlog Commentary on the Endless Dispute Between Evolution and Creationism
Many evolutionists consider the Obama administration to be friendly to their cause. The Tree of Life cites the science backgrounds of several new executive branch members here. 
The evolutionary biologist who writes that blog, Jonathan A. Eisen, was so enthusiastic about candidate Obama that he wrote a funny post in which Charles Darwin endorsed Obama.
Indeed, the New York Times commented shortly before the election that
Mr. Obama embraces the theory of evolution and argues that the teaching of intelligent design and other creationist ideas “cloud” a student’s understanding of science.
You may recall the hullabaloo surrounding creationism vs. evolution during the 2008 Presidential election.
If not, allow these writers to remind you...
Sarah Palin, Evolution and Creationism from Science & Religion Today
Palin's Dangerous Views on Science Education from Michigan Messenger
There are also some interesting books about evolution and genetic development. Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene intrigued me. The Amazon.com review noted:
What's YOUR view of the evolution/creationism issue?
Inheriting the mantle of revolutionary biologist from Darwin, Watson, and Crick, Richard Dawkins forced an enormous change in the way we see ourselves and the world with the publication of The Selfish Gene. Suppose, instead of thinking about organisms using genes to reproduce themselves, as we had since Mendel's work was rediscovered, we turn it around and imagine that "our" genes build and maintain us in order to make more genes. That simple reversal seems to answer many puzzlers which had stumped scientists for years, and we haven't thought of evolution in the same way since.
Only a few of you commented in class. Did you agree with the student who said that she didn't understand the conflict? She viewed the Biblical stories as metaphors, not to be taken literally, so that she could simultaneously accept scientific explanations. Do you think that it's possible to believe in a god-like creator and also accept Darwin's theory? Or do you have another viewpoint?
2 comments:
I've just scrolled down and found that you've already duscussed Darwin. I guess the logical connection between your posts is obvious, even though i'm working backwards.
Ian,
I always tell my students you must start from the bottom up! ;-) But you do it anyway you like.
If you're a backwards kind of guy, you'll love my post for today at Traveling Through Time and Space. You may have seen the first video before, but I'll bet you haven't seen the second one. Then again, with all your world travels, you may have seen it when it played in Argentina!
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