Andrew J. Petto will discuss the ways in which evolution is taught in Milwaukee-area schools.

A brief presentation on the current attempts to introduce creationism into public schools, followed by an audience discussion.

Symposium organized by NCSE at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science with Eugenie C. Scott as the Moderator. The Symposium takes to heart Theodosious Dobzhansky’s maxim that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” The symposium features preeminent scientists’ reflections on how the concept of common ancestry explains why things are the way they are in their respective fields.

• Joshua Rosenau "Why We Need to Apply Dobzhansky's Maxim Today"
• David Deamer "Evolution Makes Sense of Biochemistry"
• Kenneth R. Miller "Evolution Makes Sense of Cell & Molecular Biology"
• Sean B. Carroll "Evolution Makes Sense of Developmental Biology"
• Neil Shubin "Evolution makes Sense of Anatomy"
• Olivia Judson "Evolution Makes Sense of Behavior"

Also: Visit the NCSE Booth in the Exhibit Room

Andrew J. Petto will lead a panel discussion of the creationist propaganda film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. A reception will follow.

Our principal speaker for Darwin Day 2009, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, will be Dr. Barbara Forrest, Professor of Philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University. Dr. Forrest is coauthor of Creationism's Trojan Horse and was a key witness for the plaintiffs in the 2005 Kitzmiller vs. Dover intelligent design trial that led to Judge Jones's comprehensive demolition of the case for teaching intelligent design in science classrooms. On Monday, February 9th, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center Auditorium on the SIUC campus, Dr. Forrest will be presenting a public lecture entitled Slam Dunk for Science and the Constitution: Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District 2005. On Wednesday, February 11th at 7 p.m. in the Life Science 3 Auditorium on the SIUC campus, we will be hosting a free public showing of the evolution/creationism documentary, Flock of Dodos: The Evolution - Intelligent Design Circus, to be followed by a panel discussion where we will be joined by a very special surprise guest.

A talk for the San Francisco Atheists' “Evolutionpalooza 2009” Darwin Day celebration. In 1859, Charles Darwin convincingly presented “transmutation” of species to other scientists and the public, and suggested that the major mechanism of that process was his theory of natural selection. Since his time, evolution, the inference that living things have descended with modification from common ancestors, has been supported by every development in the biological sciences, from the discovery of Mendelian to molecular genetics. Evolution is the key to understanding virtually every area in biology from biochemistry, to cell biology, to organismic biology, to population biology, to ecology. Evolution is the glue that holds biology together as a coherent science, and tells us why biology is the way it is.

A presentation for Southeast Wisconsin Freethinkers.

Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809. His birthday is an opportunity to celebrate his contribution to science and its influence in such diverse academic fields as biology, anthropology, and medicine. To kick off the multiple celebrations that will be taking place in the Bay Area, UCMP and NCSE offer you the opportunity to join historians and evolutionary biologists as they discuss the extraordinary life of Charles Darwin, his contributions, his legacy, and our current understandings of evolutionary theory. Speakers will include Keith Thomson, Kipling Will, Kevin Padian, and Eugenie Scott.

After the failure of Intelligent Design to survive a legal test of its constitutionality in the classroom (Kitzmiller v Dover) the creationist movement evolved new strategies. These call for teaching the “strengths and weaknesses of evolution” or engaging students in a “critical analysis of evolution.” These strategies are, of course, creationism in disguise. In lieu of Dover-like policies promoting the teaching of Intelligent Design, the Discovery Institute has provided model legislation for states to promote these approaches. This “Academic Freedom Act” legislation has popped up in several states already, and reflects creationism du jour.

[Dr. Scott's talk is part of the symposium, “Darwin: the man, his science, and his legacy,” sponsored by the University of California Museum of Paleontology and lasting from 9:00am to 4:00pm]

In working on the front lines of the creation/evolution fight, NCSE's Josh Rosenau has found that creationist arguments rely on widespread misconceptions about science and about evolution in particular. Just as parasites exploit weaknesses to gain access to new hosts, creationist ideas spread by preying on these misconceptions. By clearing up those misconceptions, we can help prevent those bad ideas from spreading.