NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott takes aim at creationist Ray Comfort's distorted views on evolution in a special debate taking place on the U.S. News & World Report site. The debate centers on Comfort's 54-page introduction to a "special" edition of Darwin's On the Origin of Species that will be given away on college campuses across America, starting November 19.
In her post, "How Creationist 'Origin' Distorts Darwin", Scott urges students to take the free copy of Origin that Comfort is offering, but to not waste time reading Comfort's introduction — especially the middle section.
"[It's] a hopeless mess of long-ago-refuted creationist arguments," says Scott, "teeming with misinformation about the science of evolution, populated by legions of strawmen, and exhibiting what can be charitably described as muddled thinking."
For example, Scott explains, Comfort's treatment of the human fossil record is painfully superficial, out of date, and erroneous.
"Piltdown Man and Nebraska Man — one a forgery, the other a misidentification, both rejected by science more than 50 years ago — are trotted out for scorn, as if they somehow negate the remaining huge volume of human fossils," she continues. "There are more specimens of "Ardi" (the newly described Ardipithecus ramidus) than there are of Tyrannosaurus — and any 8-year-old aspiring paleontologist will be delighted to tell you how much we know about the T. rex!"
It's no surprise that creationists are trying to piggyback on the 150th anniversary of the publication of the Origin, Scott concludes, adding, "But I have faith that college students are sharp enough to realize that Comfort's take on Darwin and evolution is simply bananas."
Post #1: Ray Comfort, "Why I Published a New Origin"
Post #2: Eugenie C. Scott responds, "How Creationist 'Origin' Distorts Darwin"
CONTACT: Robert Luhn, Director of Communications, NCSE, 510-601-7203, luhn@ncse.com
Web site: www.ncse.com
The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is a not-for-profit, membership organization that defends and promotes the teaching of evolution in the public schools. The NCSE provides information and resources to schools, parents, and concerned citizens working to keep evolution in public school science education. We educate the press and public about the scientific, educational, and legal aspects of the creation and evolution controversy, and supply needed information and advice to defend good science education at local, state, and national levels. Our 4000 members are scientists, teachers, clergy, and citizens with diverse religious affiliations.