From: Paul Doherty (pauld@exploratorium.edu)
Date: Thu May 05 2005 - 10:21:08 PDT
Message-Id: <l0311071dbea0066a6445@[192.168.112.132]> Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 10:21:08 -0700 From: Paul Doherty <pauld@exploratorium.edu> Subject: AAPT statement supporting evolution
The Executive Board of the American Association of Physics Teachers is
dismayed at organized actions to weaken and even to eliminate
significant portions of evolution and cosmology from the educational
objectives of states and school districts.
Evolution and cosmology represent two of the unifying concepts of
modern science. There are few scientific theories more firmly supported
by observations than these: Biological evolution has occurred and new
species have arisen over time, life on Earth originated more than a
billion years ago, and most stars are at least several billion years
old. Overwhelming evidence comes from diverse sources - the structure
and function of DNA, geological analysis of rocks, paleontological
studies of fossils, telescopic observations of distant stars and
galaxies - and no serious scientist questions these claims. We do our
children a grave disservice if we remove from their education an
exposure to firm scientific evidence supporting principles that
significantly shape our understanding of the world in which we live.
No scientific theory, no matter how strongly supported by available
evidence, is final and unchallengeable; any good theory is always
exposed to the possibility of being modified or even overthrown by new
evidence. That is at the very heart of the process of science. However,
biological and cosmological evolution are theories as strongly supported
and interwoven into the fabric of science as any other essential
underpinnings of modern science and technology. To deny children
exposure to the evidence in support of biological and cosmological
evolution is akin to allowing them to believe that atoms do not exist or
that the Sun goes around the Earth.
We believe in teaching that science is a process that examines all of
the evidence relevant to an issue and tests alternative hypotheses. For
this reason, we do not endorse teaching the "evidence against
evolution," because currently no such scientific evidence exists. Nor
can we condone teaching "scientific creationism," "intelligent
design," or other non-scientific viewpoints as valid scientific
theories. These beliefs ignore the important connections among empirical
data and fail to provide testable hypotheses. They should not be a part
of the science curriculum.
School boards, teachers, parents, and lawmakers have a responsibility
to ensure that all children receive a good education in science. The
American Association of Physics Teachers opposes all efforts to require
or promote teaching creationism or any other non-scientific viewpoints
in a science course. AAPT supports the National Science Education
Standards, which incorporate the process of science and well-established
scientific theories including cosmological and biological evolution.
This statement was adopted by the Executive Board of the American
Association of Physics Teachers on April 24, 2005.
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