Because 2014 is the centennial of the outbreak of World War I, there’s been a lot of discussion of the causes, conduct, and consequences of the war lately. Particularly interesting for anyone with a speculative bent is a series on NPR: “What if World War I had never happened?” Various contributors suggested various answers, such as:
- the October Revolution in Russia wouldn’t have succeeded
- the state of Israel would never have been established
- the civil rights movement in the United States would have been delayed
Unaccountably, however, none of NPR’s expert historians seem to have asked how the creationism-evolution controversy would have been different if World War I had never happened. Fortunately, the Science League of America is on the case. We asked a handful of scholars to offer their views, and over the course of the month their answers will appear here.
Part 1: Ronald L. Numbers
Part 2: Taner Edis
Part 3: Adam Shapiro
Part 4: Abraham C. Flipse
Part 5: George E. Webb
Part 6: Ulrich Kutschera
Part 7: Adam Laats
