Pro-Science News

“Teachers who don’t teach evolution aren’t actually teaching biology—they’re just playing a long game of Trivial Pursuit at the expense of their students,” says NCSE Teacher Ambassador Blake Touchet.

North Dakota's House Bill 1538 (PDF), which would allow the misrepresentation of science in the classroom, was filed on January 14, 2019, and referred to the Joint Education Committee.

Florida's Senate Bill 330, filed on January 14, 2019, would, if enacted, require "[c]ontroversial theories and concepts" discussed in science standards "[to] be taught in a factual, objective, and balanced manner."

Indiana's Senate Bill 373 would, if enacted, provide that "[t]he governing body of a school corporation may require the teaching of various theories concerning the origin of life, including creation science, within the school corporation."

The distinguished biologist Rudolf A. "Rudy" Raff died on January 5, 2019, at the age of 77, according to The Scientist (January 9, 2019).

A resolution in the Virginia General Assembly would urge the adoption of a code of ethics for public school teachers — with a provision that could adversely affect science education.

A proposed bill in Connecticut would, if enacted, apparently make it the first state to require the teaching of climate change in the public schools by law. 

John Cook knows a thing or two about climate change misconceptions and he’s on a mission to help teachers and students leverage those misconceptions into fruitful, engaging, evidence-based learning opportunities.

Arizona's House Bill 2002, which would prohibit teachers from taking a stand on "any side of a controversial issue," would apparently affect science education.

NCSE’s Executive Director Ann Reid looks back at the organization's accomplishments in 2018, and looks ahead to what’s coming in 2019.

NCSE is pleased to announce that the latest issue of Reports of the National Center for Science Education — volume 39, number 1 — is now available on-line. 

NCSE's executive director Ann Reid — and her dog Buster — appeared on the Christian Science Monitor's podcast Perception Gaps (December 17, 2018).

"Newly elected Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed the members of his transition team for education — and on it are two people linked to efforts to weaken the teaching of evolution and climate change, among other topics," reports Education Week (December 7, 2018).

NCSE Teacher Ambassador John Mead sees evolution as the mortar that holds “the bricks of our biological world together” and wants to help fellow teachers improve the depth and breadth of their evolution teaching.

Oklahoma's Senate Bill 14 (PDF), which would empower science denial in the classroom, was prefiled in the Oklahoma legislature.

"An increasing number of Americans believe climate change is occurring, including a majority who now see this issue as a very serious problem," according to the latest Monmouth University Poll. "Scientists have long agreed that climate change is a very serious problem, and it is past time to take action. Now it is clear that a majority of Americans regardless of political party agree," commented Tony MacDonald, the director of the Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University.

More than two thirds of Canadians think that human beings evolved from less advanced life forms over millions of years, according to a new poll — but less than half think that creationism should not be part of the public school curriculum.

NCSE is seeking to hire a part-time spring intern to assist with the national launch of the Science Booster Club program.