Via PZ Myers comes a description from Science online about how Intelligent Design suffered pretty thoroughly last Tuesday:
Intelligent design (ID) received a drubbing yesterday, with pro-evolution candidates taking control of the Kansas State Board of Education and strengthening their representation on the Ohio State Board of Education. Many scientists also cheered the defeat of Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), one of the most politically influential supporters of the ID movement.
One of those “many scientists” was me. I know better than to think ID will go away; as before it will, ironically, evolve. It used to be creationism, then it was ID. Next it will simply be “teach the controversy”, or more likely “teach the weaknesses of evolution” both of which translate into “lie about the facts”.
I’m reading Not In Our Classrooms right now, which is an excellent intro to the sneaky, misleading tactics (and outright lies) of the ID movement and their attempts to brainwash our children– I should add that the book is not that strident, that’s just my own opinion leaking though a bit. :-) In fact, NIOC is a great description of the history of the antiscience, antievolution forces in this country. Reading it now, after having savored Santorum’s concession speech, is especially motivating. We can win, and we will.
P.S. Chris Mooney of The Intersection has a brief analysis of what he hopes from the new Congress. From his lips…
