Sixty-seven national academies of science, representing countries
from Albania to Zimbabwe, have endorsed the Interacademy Panel's new
statement on the teaching of evolution. Among the signatories are the United
States National Academy of Sciences, the United Kingdom's Royal Society of
London,
the Royal Society of Canada, the Australian Academy of Science, and
the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Nobel Prizes in
Physics and Chemistry and the Crafoord Prize.
Concerned that "in various parts of the world, within science courses taught in certain public systems of education, scientific evidence,
data, and testable theories about the origins and evolution of life on Earth
are being concealed, denied, or confused with theories not testable by science," the signatories "urge decision makers, teachers, and parents
to educate all children about the methods and discoveries of science and
to foster an understanding of the science of nature."
IAP's co-chair Yves Quere told the BBC (June 21, 2006) that the
scientific community is increasingly concerned that children are not being taught
the basic facts of evolution and the nature of scientific inquiry. The statement accordingly lists a number of key facts that "have been established by numerous observations and independently derived
experimental results from a multitude of scientific disciplines," including the age
of the universe and of the earth, the change of the earth over time, and
the common ancestry of life on earth.
The statement also acknowledges that "human understanding of value
and purpose are outside of natural science's scope" and that "a number of components -- scientific, social, philosophical, religious, cultural
and political -- contribute to it," adding, "These different fields owe
each other mutual consideration, while being fully aware of their own areas
of action and their limitations."
For the IAP statement (PDF), visit:
For the BBC's story, visit:
10:11:33 PM 
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