Like radiometric dating from Module 3, another well-studied environmental science topic that spurs contentious public conversation is evolution by natural selection. After Charles Darwin published his book On the Origin of Species in 1859, it took several decades for evolution to gain widespread acceptance within the scientific community. However, by the early 20th century, modern genetics independently confirmed evolutionary theory through field and laboratory observations from several different scientific disciplines. Yet, despite this acceptance among scientists, evolution by natural selection was considered an affront to religious accounts of humankind's origins. This led to contention between scientific and theological communities, which came to a head in the dramatic Scopes "Monkey Trial" in 1925.
The Scopes trial resulted in the prosecution of a high school science teacher in Tennessee, where at the time, state law forbade the teaching of evolution in public schools (called the Butler Act). The teacher was found guilty and subsequently fined, but the verdict was later overturned on a legal technicality in state court. What followed was a growing national chasm between science and religion throughout the United States. The Scopes trial highlighted that laws similar to Tennessee's Butler Act favored religious doctrine over other sources of knowledge, and violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (separation of church and state). Teaching evolution in public schools eventually became the requirement throughout the country, as scientific evidence supporting Darwin's theory became widespread and tenable.
This chasm between science and religion continues today, and often finds its way into national political conversation. No where was this more apparent than in the federal case of Kitzmiller v. Dover School District. In 2007, the community of Dover, Pennsylvania exploded into the national spotlight when town officials violated the separation of church and state by endorsing in their public school curriculum a religious view of the origin of life, called "Intelligent Design." The city council passed a law that required local school teachers to recite a statement to their students that refutes the scientific explanation of evolution. Needless to say, another national controversy about evolution ensued.
Watch the 2-hour NOVA video, Intelligent Design on Trial (PBS). Post a minimum of a 250-word summary and personal review, and make any connections with the readings. Review the essays of other students, and post a minimum of two thoughtful comments of approximately a paragraph (a single sentence is not a comment), and reply to any and all comments posted about your own review.
Because this can be a contentious issue, please respond to the reviews and comments of your fellow students in a thoughtful and courteous manner. Stay objective in your own video review, and view the topic through the lens of science, as you will be graded on how you utilize critical thinking habits-of-mind in your dialog. Visceral responses and rude behavior will not be tolerated.