National Center for Science Education

The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is a non-profit organization based in Oakland, California affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It defends the teaching of evolutionary biology and opposes the teaching of religious views in science classes in America's public schools. They are well known for coordinating Project Steve.

Contents

History

The NCSE was founded in 1981 and incorporated in 1983, by several "Committees of Correspondence" that had been established to fight the promotion of "creation science" by Christian fundamentalists.[1] In 1987, author and lecturer Eugenie Scott, who holds a PhD in Physical Anthropology, became its executive director.[2] The Board of Directors and official supporters, as explained by NCSE, "reflects our scientific roots."[cite this quote]

The organization's supporters include Bruce Alberts, President of the National Academy of Sciences; Donald Johanson, discoverer of the "Lucy" fossil; and evolutionary biologist Francisco J. Ayala. Also the late paleontologist and writer Stephen Jay Gould was a long-time supporter. As of 2008, the group has over 4000 members who are "scientists, teachers, clergy, and citizens with diverse religious affiliations."[3]

Activities and programs

The NCSE acts as a central information and resource clearinghouse, and helps to coordinate the activities of people fighting creationists. Consequently, the NCSE also opposes intelligent design and other "alternatives" to evolution because they are misleading euphemisms for creationism.[4] Due to this, the NCSE is criticized by creationist groups, such as Answers in Genesis.[5]

NCSE "is religiously neutral, though it cooperates nationally and locally with religious organizations, as well as scientific and educational organizations like the National Academy of Sciences, the National Association of Biology Teachers, and the National Science Teachers Association."

The NCSE offers a variety of lecturers, including biologists, anthropologists, philosophers, and theologians, for topics relating to evolution, science, and education.[6] Also it hosts activities including trips and conferences.[7] It publishes Reports of the National Center for Science Education quarterly, containing book reviews and news.[8] Additionally, it publishes books, such as a compilation of scientific analyses of creationist books[9].

In 2003, the NCSE gained international attention with Project Steve.[10]

In April 2008, the NCSE launched "Expelled-Exposed," a website critical of Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed‎ starring Ben Stein.[11] The website received press attention and a large amount of traffic.[12]

Media

Scott appeared on Uncommon Knowledge, as NCSE spokesperson, twice in 2001 debating intelligent design creationist William A. Dembski.[13][14] Then in 2004, NCSE was represented by Scott on Penn and Teller's Showtime television show Bullshit! on the episode "Creationism.".[15] Scott offered scientific views about the creationist and intelligent design movements. She noted, "it would be unfair to tell students that there is a serious dispute going on among scientists whether evolution took place. There's not." She further noted that "a lot of the time the creationists... they'll search through scientific journals and try to pull out something they think demonstrates evolution doesn't work and there is a kind of interesting rationale behind it. Their theology is such that if one thing is wrong with the Bible you have to throw it all out so that's why Genesis has to be interpreted literally. They look at science the same way. If one little piece of the evolutionary puzzle doesn't fit the whole thing has to go." Scott then explained "that's not the way science is done."

In November 2007 Scott discussed the NCSE's exploration of intelligent design on the NOVA documentary Judgement Day: Intelligent Design on Trial, which documented Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District.[16]

Staff and supporters

The NCSE's staff consists of Executive Director Eugenie C. Scott, Deputy Director Glenn Branch, Outreach Coordinator Eric Meikle, Public Information Project Director Susan Spath, Public Information Project Director Joshua Rosenau, Faith Project Director Peter M. J. Hess, Education Project Director Louise S. Mead, Postdoctoral Scholar Anne Holden, Director of Operations Philip T. Spieth, Archive Project Director Charles Hargrove, Archival Assistant Carrie Sager, and IT Technician Stuart Fogg.

Previous employees include Skip Evans (Network Project Director), Josephine Borgeson (Faith Network Project Director), Alan D. Gishlick (Postdoctoral Scholar), and Wesley R. Elsberry (Information Project Director), Nicholas Matzke (Public Information Project Director).

  • President: Kevin Padian — University of California, Berkeley
  • President-Elect: Elizabeth K. Stage — Lawrence Hall of Science
  • Past President: Jack B. Friedman — Nassau Community College
  • Secretary-Treasurer: Robert M. West — Informal Learning Experiences, Inc.
  • Founder: Stanley L. Weinberg

Directors

  • Brian Alters — McGill University
  • John R. Cole — science writer
  • Barbara Forrest — Southeastern Louisiana University
  • Duane E. Jeffery — Brigham Young University
  • Michael McIlwrath — Uff. Legale Nuove Pignone
  • Andrew J. Petto — University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
  • Frank J. Sonleitner — University of Oklahoma, Norman

Supporters

  • Bruce Alberts — National Academy of Science
  • Francisco J. Ayala — University of California, Irvine
  • Frederick Borsch — Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
  • Stephen G. Brush — University of Maryland
  • Sean B. Carroll — University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Johnnetta B. Cole — Bennett College
  • Joel Cracraft — American Museum of Natural History
  • Brent Dalrymple — Oregon State University
  • James E. Darnell, Jr. — Rockefeller University
  • Richard E. Dickerson — University of California, Los Angeles
  • Robert H. Dott, Jr. — University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • James D. Ebert† — Chesapeake Institute of Johns Hopkins University
  • Niles Eldredge — American Museum of Natural History
  • Milton Fingerman — Tulane University
  • Douglas J. Futuyma — University of Michigan
  • Alfred G. Gilman — University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
  • Laurie Godfrey — University of Massachusetts
  • Stephen Jay Gould† — Harvard University
  • Donald Hornig — Harvard University
  • Norman H. Horowitz† — California Institute of Technology
  • Clark Howell — University of California, Berkeley
  • Duane E. Jeffery — Brigham Young University
  • Donald Johanson — Institute for Human Origins
  • Patricia Kelley — University of North Carolina, Wilmington
  • Philip Kitcher — Columbia University
  • Richard C. Lewontin — Harvard University
  • Paul MacCready — Aerovironment, Inc.
  • Lynn Margulis, University of Massachusetts
  • Malcolm McKenna — American Museum of Natural History
  • Keith B. Miller — Kansas State University
  • Kenneth R. Miller — Brown University
  • John A. Moore† — University of California, Riverside
  • Dorothy Nelkin† — New York University
  • Bill Nye — TV Scientist
  • William S. Pollitzer† — University of North Carolina
  • Joseph E. Rall — National Institutes of Health
  • James Randi — James Randi Educational Foundation
  • Michael Ruse — Florida State University
  • James W. Skehan, S.J. — Weston Observatory
  • Frank Sonleitner — University of Oklahoma
  • Richard Stucky — Denver Museum of Nature & Science
  • Marvalee Wake — University of California, Berkeley
  • Mary Jane West-Eberhard — Smithsonian Institution
  • Tim D. White — University of California, Berkeley
[† = deceased]

References

  1. ^ History of NCSE, National Center for Science Education
  2. ^ Tom McIver in Isis, quoted in Eugenie C. Scott's Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction, National Center for Science Education
  3. ^ "About the National Center for Science Education", National Center for Science Education (2008). Retrieved on 17 May 2008. 
  4. ^ "Facing Challenges to Evolution Education", National Center for Science Education (2008). Retrieved on 4 November 2008. 
  5. ^ "Criticism", Answers In Genesis (2007). Retrieved on 17 January 2008. 
  6. ^ "Staff", National Center for Science Education (2008). Retrieved on 4 November 2008. 
  7. ^ "NCSE Events", National Center for Science Education (2008). Retrieved on 4 November 2008. 
  8. ^ "Reports of the National Center for Science Education", National Center for Science Education (2008). Retrieved on 4 November 2008. 
  9. ^ "NCSE Books", National Center for Science Education (2008). Retrieved on 4 November 2008. 
  10. ^ Project Steve, National Center for Science Education, Last updated October 25, 2008, retrieved November 4, 2008.
  11. ^ "Expelled flunks the test", National Center for Science Education (April 15, 2008). Retrieved on 17 May 2007. 
  12. ^ "Expelled exposed", National Center for Science Education (April 18, 2008). Retrieved on 17 May 2007. 
  13. ^ "Darwin Under The Microscope: Questioning Darwinism", Uncommon Knowledge (December 07, 2001). Retrieved on 17 July 2008. 
  14. ^ "In Whose Image? Evolution and Spirituality", Uncommon Knowledge (December 07, 2001). Retrieved on 17 July 2008. 
  15. ^ "Creationism", Bullshit! (2004). Retrieved on 17 May 2008. 
  16. ^ "Judgment Day in the news", National Center for Science Education (November 15, 2007). Retrieved on 17 May 2008. 

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Center_for_Science_Education"

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