From
the Edge, an essay:
THE REAL CRISIS IN EVOLUTION TEACHING [9.29.05]
By Scott D. Sampson
Darwinian evolution is one of the
cornerstones of modern science, resoundingly accepted by the scientific
community for almost one and half centuries. Yet, amazingly,
considerably less than half of the United States population believes
that the theory of evolution is supported by the evidence, and 42% of
respondents in recent poll agreed that "living things have existed in
their present form since the beginning of time." What lies behind this
profound disconnect between scientists and the general public?
Currently, there is a strong tendency among school teachers and
professional academics alike to blame this educational disaster on the
religious right. This view has certain merit. For example, most
recently, the Intelligent Design movement has been able to gain
considerable ground through its "teach the controversy" campaign,
appealing to Americans' sense of fairness. Yet placement of blame on
right-wing fundamentalism is severely misplaced; it also misses the
point.
Efforts to educate children and the general public about biological
evolution have long suffered a severe crisis of relevancy independent
of religious influences, and this crisis continues unabated. Even for
those who accept its veracity in this country and others, evolution is
generally (and mistakenly) envisioned as a process of the past,
encompassed by abstract concepts that have little bearing on humans,
let alone the future of Earth's diversity. This failure of education,
while complicated by a number of factors, is due in large part to a
lengthy history of fragmentation and compartmentalization within
academia that has left us with a void between two fundamental ideas:
ecology and evolution....
It would be simple to upstage his argument, to telegraph his punchline.
But he is complete and brief.
I urge you, I plead, that you read the short essay. It is
important.
5:07:40 PM 
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