NOVA's Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the NOVA documentary "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial," which explores the legal and scientific debates surrounding intelligent design (ID) and evolution. Participants share their thoughts on the documentary's portrayal of these concepts, the implications for science education, and the ongoing controversy regarding the inclusion of ID in school curricula.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express excitement about the documentary, suggesting it will provide a fair portrayal of intelligent design and its critiques.
  • Others argue that intelligent design is not scientific and should not be taught alongside evolution in schools, emphasizing the need for clear distinctions between science and religious beliefs.
  • One participant mentions that the intelligent design conjecture is logically irrefutable but still not scientific, raising questions about its educational validity.
  • A participant discusses the division within the intelligent design movement, noting that some of its claims, such as irreducible complexity, have been refuted.
  • Another participant shares a cultural creation story as an alternative perspective that could also be included in educational discussions, highlighting the diversity of beliefs about the origins of the universe.
  • Some participants reflect on the documentary's content, noting it presents rebuttals to anti-evolution arguments and discusses the legal findings of the trial related to the teaching of ID in schools.
  • There are references to specific legal outcomes from the trial, including the court's conclusion that ID is not science and its ties to religious beliefs.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the scientific validity of intelligent design and its place in education. While some support the idea of teaching it as a legitimate theory, others firmly oppose this view, arguing it lacks scientific grounding. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of the documentary and the legal rulings on ID.

Contextual Notes

Participants express various assumptions about the definitions of science and education, and there are unresolved discussions about the implications of the court's findings on the teaching of intelligent design versus evolution.

  • #61
Opponents of Evolution Adopting a New Strategy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/us/04evolution.html

Antievolution legislation in South Carolina dies:

http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/news/2008/SC/636_antievolution_legislation_in_s_6_5_2008.asp
http://www.scstatehouse.net/sess117_2007-2008/bills/1386.htm

Dembski has now officially gone of the deep-end:

h*ttp://www.uncommondescent.com/culture/in-an-undesigned-world/

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter’s signing of a transgender anti-discrimination bill points up the lunacy that ensues in a world without design (see here).

http://scienceblogs.com/evolutionblog/2008/06/dembski_on_the_consequences_of.php

I don't know if that is sad or just pathetic.

On David Berlinsk

http://www.slate.com/id/2189178/entry/2189179/

"Berlinski is a critic, a contrarian, and—by his own admission—a crank."
 
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  • #62
This might be of interest.

Science, Evolution, and Creationism
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11876
Free download available.

. . . . Although evolution provides credible and reliable answers, polls show that many people turn away from science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable.

In the book Science, Evolution, and Creationism, a group of experts assembled by the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine explain the fundamental methods of science, document the overwhelming evidence in support of biological evolution, and evaluate the alternative perspectives offered by advocates of various kinds of creationism, including "intelligent design." The book explores the many fascinating inquiries being pursued that put the science of evolution to work in preventing and treating human disease, developing new agricultural products, and fostering industrial innovations. The book also presents the scientific and legal reasons for not teaching creationist ideas in public school science classes.

Mindful of school board battles and recent court decisions, Science, Evolution, and Creationism shows that science and religion should be viewed as different ways of understanding the world rather than as frameworks that are in conflict with each other and that the evidence for evolution can be fully compatible with religious faith. For educators, students, teachers, community leaders, legislators, policy makers, and parents who seek to understand the basis of evolutionary science, this publication will be an essential resource.
 

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