NCSE on the Creationist Museum
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 8:38 pm
DOUG
A member of the National Center for Science Education sent me this and asked that it be distributed widely. I snipped out one link to a French media report referenced at the end of this letter. The link did not work.
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With the young-earth creation ministry Answers in Genesis scheduled to open its lavish creation museum in northern Kentucky at the end of the month, there is a great deal of concern among the scientific and educational communities in the adjacent states about its impact on the public understanding of evolution.
As part of NCSE's efforts, we are inviting university scientists in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana to sign a statement expressing their concern about the effect that the museum may have on the scientific literacy of the students they will be teaching. The statement reads, in full:
We, the undersigned scientists at universities and colleges in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, are concerned about scientifically inaccurate materials at the Answers in Genesis museum. Students who accept this material as scientifically valid are unlikely to succeed in science courses at the college level. These students will need remedial instruction in the nature of science, as well as in the specific areas of science misrepresented by Answers in Genesis.
If you qualify to sign the statement, we urge you to do so, by visiting:
here.
[Doug writes: "Please sign only if you are a scientist (faculty or post-doctoral level) from IN, KY, or OH."]
On the same website, we are also providing suggested resources for teachers and ways to take action :
Here.
And here.
I'm pleased to report that the statement is already having its effect: journalists are including it in their stories as representative of the reaction on the part of the scientific community. See, for example, [this story] from the Associated Press...
AP Story.
There are almost 700 signatories on the list now -- but we think that 1000 would be a nice round number for the press to be able to cite in its coverage of the museum's opening. So if you qualify to sign the statement, we urge you to do so now.
And of course we would appreciate your helping us to spread the word by forwarding this e-mail.
A member of the National Center for Science Education sent me this and asked that it be distributed widely. I snipped out one link to a French media report referenced at the end of this letter. The link did not work.
===================
With the young-earth creation ministry Answers in Genesis scheduled to open its lavish creation museum in northern Kentucky at the end of the month, there is a great deal of concern among the scientific and educational communities in the adjacent states about its impact on the public understanding of evolution.
As part of NCSE's efforts, we are inviting university scientists in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana to sign a statement expressing their concern about the effect that the museum may have on the scientific literacy of the students they will be teaching. The statement reads, in full:
We, the undersigned scientists at universities and colleges in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, are concerned about scientifically inaccurate materials at the Answers in Genesis museum. Students who accept this material as scientifically valid are unlikely to succeed in science courses at the college level. These students will need remedial instruction in the nature of science, as well as in the specific areas of science misrepresented by Answers in Genesis.
If you qualify to sign the statement, we urge you to do so, by visiting:
here.
[Doug writes: "Please sign only if you are a scientist (faculty or post-doctoral level) from IN, KY, or OH."]
On the same website, we are also providing suggested resources for teachers and ways to take action :
Here.
And here.
I'm pleased to report that the statement is already having its effect: journalists are including it in their stories as representative of the reaction on the part of the scientific community. See, for example, [this story] from the Associated Press...
AP Story.
There are almost 700 signatories on the list now -- but we think that 1000 would be a nice round number for the press to be able to cite in its coverage of the museum's opening. So if you qualify to sign the statement, we urge you to do so now.
And of course we would appreciate your helping us to spread the word by forwarding this e-mail.