Learn from the mistakes of others

Because you just know they've got to be carefully enumerated, or someone will claim that they're being debated ...

For those of you who are curious, this report is a great read.

Because you just know they've got to be carefully enumerated, or someone will claim that they're being debated ...

For those of you who are curious, this report is a great read.

[JURIST] The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) [group website], the world's largest general scientific society, has denounced legislation and policies [statement, PDF; press release] that "undermine evolution" and "deprive students of the education they need to be informed and productive citizens," referring specifically to pending legislation in 14 states that would "weaken science education." According to an AAAS statement issued at the association's annual meeting which concluded Monday:

Some bills seek to discredit evolution by emphasizing so-called "flaws" in the theory of evolution or "disagreements" within the scientific community. Others insist that teachers have absolute freedom within their classrooms and cannot be disciplined for teaching non-scientific "alternatives" to evolution. A number of bills require that students be taught to "critically analyze" evolution or to understand "the controversy." But there is no significant controversy within the scientific community about the validity of the theory of evolution. The current controversy surrounding the teaching of evolution is not a scientific one. ...

Many of the proposed bills and policies aim explicitly or implicitly at encouraging the teaching of "Intelligent Design" in science classes as an alternative to evolution. Although advocates of Intelligent Design usually avoid mentioning a specific creator, the concept is in fact religious, not scientific.

The AAAS praised the December 2005 federal court opinion in Kitzmiller v. Dover School District [PDF text; JURIST report], holding that a Pennsylvania public school district's policy of teaching intelligent design [JURIST news archive] as an alternative to evolution was an unconstitutional violation of the Establishment Clause.

Newsday has more.

[JURIST] The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) [group website], the world's largest general scientific society, has denounced legislation and policies [statement, PDF; press release] that "undermine evolution" and "deprive students of the education they need to be informed and productive citizens," referring specifically to pending legislation in 14 states that would "weaken science education." According to an AAAS statement issued at the association's annual meeting which concluded Monday:

Some bills seek to discredit evolution by emphasizing so-called "flaws" in the theory of evolution or "disagreements" within the scientific community. Others insist that teachers have absolute freedom within their classrooms and cannot be disciplined for teaching non-scientific "alternatives" to evolution. A number of bills require that students be taught to "critically analyze" evolution or to understand "the controversy." But there is no significant controversy within the scientific community about the validity of the theory of evolution. The current controversy surrounding the teaching of evolution is not a scientific one. ...

Many of the proposed bills and policies aim explicitly or implicitly at encouraging the teaching of "Intelligent Design" in science classes as an alternative to evolution. Although advocates of Intelligent Design usually avoid mentioning a specific creator, the concept is in fact religious, not scientific.

The AAAS praised the December 2005 federal court opinion in Kitzmiller v. Dover School District [PDF text; JURIST report], holding that a Pennsylvania public school district's policy of teaching intelligent design [JURIST news archive] as an alternative to evolution was an unconstitutional violation of the Establishment Clause.

Newsday has more.

Rowan Hooper, Chronic fatigue is not all in the mind, NewScientist.com, 21 July 2005

"AT LONG last, we are beginning to get to grips with chronic fatigue syndrome. Differences in gene expression have been found in the immune cells of people with the disease, a discovery that could lead to a blood test for the disorder and perhaps even to drugs for treating it. "

“The study shows some aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome may be understood in molecular terms. It is not a 'made-up' illness”

Lorna Wing, MMR: Science and fiction by Richard Horton and, MMR and Autism by Michael Fitzpatrick (Article Preview), NewScientist.com Magazine issue 2466, 25 September 2004

Graham Lawton, The autism epidemic that never was (Article Preview), NewScientist.com Magazine issue 2512, 13 August 2005

Rowan Hooper, Chronic fatigue is not all in the mind, NewScientist.com, 21 July 2005

"AT LONG last, we are beginning to get to grips with chronic fatigue syndrome. Differences in gene expression have been found in the immune cells of people with the disease, a discovery that could lead to a blood test for the disorder and perhaps even to drugs for treating it. "

“The study shows some aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome may be understood in molecular terms. It is not a 'made-up' illness”

Lorna Wing, MMR: Science and fiction by Richard Horton and, MMR and Autism by Michael Fitzpatrick (Article Preview), NewScientist.com Magazine issue 2466, 25 September 2004

Graham Lawton, The autism epidemic that never was (Article Preview), NewScientist.com Magazine issue 2512, 13 August 2005

conuly

moggymania

• Arthur Allen[1], Sticking Up for Thimerosal:Read the studies—it's safe. Posted Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2005, at 4:25 AM PT [http://slate.msn.com/id/2123647/]

• Sydney Spiesel[2] Your Health This Month: Mercury in vaccines and dental fillings, avian flu, episiotomies, and more. Posted Friday, July 1, 2005, at 12:39 PM PT [http://slate.msn.com/id/2121808/]


• including the sidebar on why thimerosal was put into vaccines in the first place: [http://slate.msn.com/id/2121808/sidebar/2121846/]

• Jason Bradford[3], The Neurobiology of Mass Delusion, Energy Bulletin, 11 jan 05 [http://www.energybulletin.net/newswire.php?id=3948]

Arthur Allen <artnews@earthlink.net> is writing a history of vaccination.

Sydney Spiesel <sydney.spiesel@yale.edu> is a pediatrician in Woodbridge, Conn., and a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Yale University's School of Medicine. He also appears in a question in the game Trivial Pursuit.

Jason Bradford Started a movement to help his town (Willits, CA) face issues of resource depletion and environmental change by creating a locally sustainable economy.

conuly

moggymania

• Arthur Allen[1], Sticking Up for Thimerosal:Read the studies—it's safe. Posted Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2005, at 4:25 AM PT [http://slate.msn.com/id/2123647/]

• Sydney Spiesel[2] Your Health This Month: Mercury in vaccines and dental fillings, avian flu, episiotomies, and more. Posted Friday, July 1, 2005, at 12:39 PM PT [http://slate.msn.com/id/2121808/]


• including the sidebar on why thimerosal was put into vaccines in the first place: [http://slate.msn.com/id/2121808/sidebar/2121846/]

• Jason Bradford[3], The Neurobiology of Mass Delusion, Energy Bulletin, 11 jan 05 [http://www.energybulletin.net/newswire.php?id=3948]

Arthur Allen <artnews@earthlink.net> is writing a history of vaccination.

Sydney Spiesel <sydney.spiesel@yale.edu> is a pediatrician in Woodbridge, Conn., and a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Yale University's School of Medicine. He also appears in a question in the game Trivial Pursuit.

Jason Bradford Started a movement to help his town (Willits, CA) face issues of resource depletion and environmental change by creating a locally sustainable economy.