Science Examiner

Court upholds right of scientists and patients to challenge gene patents

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:52:21 -0700

A federal district court ruled yesterday that patients and scientists can challenge patents on human genes in court, allowing a lawsuit challenging patents on two human genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer to move forward. ...

Eugenie Scott challenges creationist's 'special' edition of Darwin's 'Origin'

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:17:41 -0700

Executive Director Eugenie Scott of the National Center for Science Education takes aim at creationist Ray Comfort's distorted views on evolution in a debate taking place on the U.S. News & World Report site. The debate centers on Com...

Fossilized skull of 150 million year old sea creature discovered

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:51:00 -0700

The fossilized skull of a sea creature that lived 150 million years ago was discovered off the coast of England. The creature, a pliosaur, is said to have been a vicious predatory carnivore. The fossil, which is approximately 8 feet...

NCSE's Scott joins Scientific American's revamped Board of Advisers

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:13:23 -0700

Dr. Eugenie C. Scott has joined Scientific American's revamped and expanded Board of Advisers. In her new role, Dr. Scott will have a hand in shaping the course of the magazine, offering advice and feedback on upcoming editorial plans, manuscr...

Ida isn't 'missing link' after all

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:33:33 -0700

It was reported yesterday that the 47-million-year-old skeletal fossil dubbed Ida that was unveiled in May isn't a 'missing link' after all. Even at the time of the unveiling, some experts said that Ida was not of the same ancestr...

High school officials banned band 'evolution' t-shirt - Get yours now!

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:29:53 -0700

Sometimes you read a story that's just so astoundingly absurd, all you can say is "wow." This was one of those for me.It seems that there was a bit of hubbub last month over the band t-shirt (shown here) that the marching band of Smith-Cott...

The state of Texas education - From bad to badder?

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:11:45 -0700

Yes, of course, the headline contains bad grammar, but it is indicative of the state of education in Texas. It has been bad for quite some time now and it seems that it is not likely to get any better any time soon. Some suppose that it will onl...

Flocabulary uses Hip Hop to help kids learn science and more - The new School House Rock?

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:58:38 -0700

A new program to help children learn science and math, as well as language arts and social studies is gaining popularity. In a sense, it is reminiscent of what School House Rock did for learning beginning back in the 1970s.This program, cal...

Creationist science teacher sues school district - What nerve!

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:33:16 -0700

John Freshwater, an eighth grade science teacher of the Mount Vernon City School District in Ohio is in the news again. This time he is suing. You may remember that he was sued last year after he was accused of proselytizing to student...

US lacks science graduates - New Web site hopes to help

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:47:21 -0700

It has been a concern for some time... the US isn't producing enough science college graduates. But a new Web site, Scitable, which is "a collaborative learning space for science," has been designed to change that by addressing some of the ...

Creationism in new Texas science education standards

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:38:27 -0700

Steven Newton, Public Information Project Director of the National Center for Science Education, wrote an article titled "Creationism in the New Texas Standards for Earth and Space Science," which appeared in The Earth Scientist. The abstra...

Two anti-evolution science ed bills die in Texas

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:28:17 -0700

Two anti-evolution bills died in Texas yesterday when the Texas legislature adjourned. A major triumph was the death of House Bill 2800 that would have made it possible for the Institute for Creation Research to award master's degrees in science...

NCSE's Eugenie Scott - winner of 2009 Stephen Jay Gould Prize

Sun, 31 May 2009 10:07:56 -0700

Eugenie Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), is the recipient of the 2009 Stephen Jay Gould Prize. She will be honored in June at the Evolution 2009 convention at the Univeristy of Idaho. According to the rep...

Don McLeroy to be replaced as chair of Texas Board of Education

Sat, 30 May 2009 09:21:53 -0700

The good news is that Don McLeroy has not been approved to continue his reign of terror... er, reign as the chair of the Texas Board of Education. The bad news is that it is suspected that Texas Governor, Rick Perry, may appoint yet another vocally r...

Creationist University sues Texas for right to grant master's science degrees

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:52:10 -0700

As I reported back in March, Leo Berman, who is a member of the House Higher Education Committee of Texas, was the sole sponsor of House Bill 2800 that was introduced on March 9, 2009 in the Texas House of Representatives to help the Instit...

White House science adviser laments Texas science ed standards

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:55:50 -0700

The new head of the White House Office of Science and Technology, John Holdren, was recently interviewed by Scienceinsider. Among the topics he spoke about, was the recently adopted science education standards in Texas.Following is an excerpt from th...

Stick figure science education cartoon contest

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:10:02 -0700

How are you at drawing stick figures? Well, it doesn't really matter. The goal of this contest has nothing to do with how well you draw as it does how creative you are at delivering a message.Florida Citizens for Science is holding a "Stick Scie...

Fun comic about science education being corrupted by religion

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:55:50 -0700

NCSE speaks about new Texas science education standards

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:01:59 -0700

The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) has issued a press release regarding the new Texas science education standards that were voted in this past Friday. They, too, believe that the new wording allows religion to be brought into Texa...

Texas science education debate over - but the win is a loss

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:53:02 -0700

The final vote was cast today in Texas as to the fate of the "strengths and weaknesses" language that was proposed to be put back into science education standards. That idea was abandoned. However, this is not a time to celebrate....