News

SHARE TWEET EMAIL PRINT
Glenn Branch
12.01.2017

A new instructional materials bill in Florida

"A controversial new state law that makes it easier for Florida residents to challenge books used in public schools could get overhauled next year so those who dislike certain texts could also suggest replacements they find more appropriate," reports the Orlando Sentinel (December 1, 2017).

+ read
SHARE TWEET EMAIL PRINT
Glenn Branch
12.01.2017

Colin Groves dies

Colin Groves, via Wikimedia CommonsThe eminent biological anthropologist Colin Groves died on November 30, 2017, at the age of 75, according to a press release from the Australian National University.

+ read
SHARE TWEET EMAIL PRINT
Glenn Branch
12.01.2017

Jerry Fodor dies

Jerry Fodor, via Wikimedia CommonsThe distinguished philosopher of mind Jerry Fodor died on November 29, 2017, at the age of 82, according to The New York Times (November 30, 2017).

+ read
SHARE TWEET EMAIL PRINT
Glenn Branch
11.29.2017

A second antiscience bill in Florida

Florida's House Bill 825, prefiled on November 28, 2017, would, if enacted, require "[c]ontroversial theories and concepts ... [to] be taught in a factual, objective, and balanced manner," while allowing local school districts to use either the state science standards or alternatives "equivalent to or more rigorous than" them.

+ read
SHARE TWEET EMAIL PRINT
Glenn Branch
11.28.2017

The latest from Florida

The effects of Florida's new law making it easier for creationists and climate change deniers to harass their local school districts are already manifesting, according to a report from the Associated Press (November 18, 2017). 

+ read
SHARE TWEET EMAIL PRINT
Robert Luhn
11.27.2017

Anti-Evolution and Anti-Climate Science Legislation Scorecard: 2017

Thanks in part to NCSE's efforts, it was a bad year for those who would make it easier to miseducate kids about science, with one major exception: Florida. Signed into law in June 2017, Florida's House Bill 989 allows any county resident—not just any parent with a child in the country's public schools—to file a complaint about textbooks and other instructional materials. Climate change and evolution were clearly among the targets of HB 989.

+ read
SHARE TWEET EMAIL PRINT
Glenn Branch
11.27.2017

NCSE's Branch and Reid in a special edition of Scientific American

Scientific American coverNCSE's Glenn Branch and Ann Reid's "50 Years Ago: Repeal of Tennessee's 'Monkey Law'" was selected for inclusion in "The Science Behind the Debates," a special edition of Scientific American dated December 2017.

+ read
SHARE TWEET EMAIL PRINT
Glenn Branch
11.22.2017

Alan Walker dies

Alan WalkerThe distinguished paleoanthropologist Alan Walker died on November 20, 2017, at the age of 79, according to a November 21, 2017, Facebook post from his wife Pat Shipman.

+ read
SHARE TWEET EMAIL PRINT
Glenn Branch
11.20.2017

A new antiscience bill in Florida

Florida's Senate Bill 966, prefiled on November 17, 2017, would, if enacted, require "[c]ontroversial theories and concepts ... [to] be taught in a factual, objective, and balanced manner," while allowing local school districts to use either the state science standards or alternatives "equivalent to or more rigorous than" them.

+ read
SHARE TWEET EMAIL PRINT
Glenn Branch
11.20.2017

Kenneth R. Miller on current threats to evolution education

Kenneth R. Miller

Kenneth R. Miller, president of NCSE's board of directors and professor of biology at Brown University, features in a ten-minute documentary about current threats to evolution education, produced by Retro Report and hosted at The New York Times.

+ read