1.Marie Curie,neMariaSklodowska,wasborninWarsawonNovember7,1867,thedaughterofasecondary-schoolteacher.Togetherwithherhusband,shewasawardedhalfoftheNobelPrizeforPhysicsin1903,fortheirstudyintothespontaneousradiationdiscoveredbyBecquerel,whowasawardedtheotherhalfofthePrize.In1911shereceivedasecondNobelPrize,thistimeinChemistry

2. LyelladvocatedwhatWilliamWhewelllaterdubbedauniformitarianviewofgeology.Thisassumedfirstofalltheconstancyofnaturallaws(exceptasregardedtheoriginofnewspecieswhichwasleftrathervague).Thekindsofcauseswhichaffectedtheearthinthepastmustbeassumedtohavebeenexactlythoseweseeinoperationtoday(suchaserosion,sedimentdeposition,volcanicaction,earthquakesetc.)Furthermore,thesecausesmustbeassumedtohavebeenofthesameintensityinthepastasweobservethemtoday. 3. LyellwasobsessedwiththeimplicationsoftheevolutionarytheoryofJ.B.Lamarck.InLyellsview,ifLamarckwasrightthenreligionwasafable,Manwasjustabetterbeast,andthemoralfabricofsocietywouldcrumbletodust.AconcertedrefutationofLamarckstheoriesofprogressandevolutionbecameacentralpartofthePrinciples.However,bydevotingsuchextensivetreatmenttoLamarck,LyellparadoxicallymadeLamarcksviewsbetterknownintheEnglish-speakingworldthantheyeverhadbeen. 4. Lamarcksscientifictheorieswerelargelyignoredorattackedduringhislifetime "Dowenotthereforeperceivethatbythe actionofthelawsoforganization...nature hasinfavorabletimes,places,andclimates multipliedherfirstgermsofanimality,given placetodevelopmentsoftheir organizations,...andincreasedand diversifiedtheirorgans?Then...aidedby muchtimeandbyaslowbutconstantdiversity ofcircumstances,shehasgraduallybrought aboutinthisrespectthestateofthingswhich wenowobserve.Howgrandisthis consideration,andespeciallyhowremoteisit fromallthatisgenerallythoughtonthis subject!"TextofalecturegivenbyLamarckat theMuseNationaldHistoireNaturelle,Paris, May1803 5. Lamarckianismsaysacquiredcharacteristicscanbetransmittedfromonegenerationtothenext:agiraffestretchinghighforthetall-hangingfruit,forinstance,canpassalongalongerneck.Lamarckhimselfhadamoresubtleview:achangeintheenvironmentcauseschangesintheneedsoforganismslivinginthatenvironment,whichinturncauseschangesintheirbehavior.Alteredbehaviorleadstogreaterorlesseruseofagivenstructureororgan;usewouldcausethestructuretoincreaseinsizeoverseveralgenerations,whereasdisusewouldcauseittoshrinkorevendisappear. 6. DarwinonLamarckHewasthefirstmanwhoseconclusionsonthesubjectexcitedmuchattention.Thisjustlycelebratednaturalistfirstpublishedhisviewsin1801...hefirstdidtheeminentserviceofarousingattentiontotheprobabilityofallchangesintheorganic,aswellasintheinorganicworld,beingtheresultoflaw,andnotofmiraculousinterposition. 7. SomesupportersofDarwinstheoryofevolution(likeHerbertSpencerandDarwinsowncousinFrancisGalton)havemisappliedthebiologicalprinciplesofnaturalselection--"survivalofthefittest"--tothesocial,political,andeconomicrealms.Theideaof"socialDarwinism"originatedintheclassstratificationofEngland,andhasoftenbeenusedasageneraltermforanyevolutionaryargumentaboutthebiologicalbasisofhumandifferences.DrawingonsocialDarwinism,supportersofthe20th-centuryeugenicsmovementsoughtto"improve"humangeneticstock,muchasfarmersdoinagriculture. 8. Spenceremphasizedthedog-eat-dogqualityofaworldinwhichstruggleandsufferingoutpaceinsight,cooperation,andprogress.Whatweneedisadoggy-dogworld(ifyoureafanofModernFamilyyoumightgetthatreference)inwhichboththestrongandthesweet(inDarwinsownwordsthevigorous,thehealthy,andthehappysurviveandflourish. 9. Thereisgrandeurinthisviewoflife,andlightwillbeshownontheoriginsofman.Thus,fromthewarofnature,fromfamineanddeath,[i]themostexaltedobjectwhichwearecapableofconceiving,namely,theproductionofthehigheranimals,directlyfollows.Thereisgrandeurinthisviewoflife,withitsseveralpowers,havingbeenoriginallybreathedintoafewformsorintoone;andthat,whilstthisplanethasgonecyclingonaccordingtothefixedlawofgravity,fromsosimpleabeginningendlessformsmostbeautifulandmostwonderfulhavebeen,andarebeing,evolved.Dawkinselaborates 10. TheNationalCenterforScienceEducation(NCSE)isanot-for-profit,membershiporganizationprovidinginformationandresourcesforschools,parentsandconcernedcitizensworkingtokeepevolutionandclimatescienceinpublicschoolscienceeducation.Weeducatethepressandpublicaboutthescientificandeducationalaspectsofcontroversiessurroundingtheteachingofevolutionandclimatechange,andsupplyneededinformationandadvicetodefendgoodscienceeducationatlocal,state,andnationallevels.Our4500membersarescientists,teachers,clergy,andcitizenswithdiversereligiousandpoliticalaffiliations. 11. Governor petitioned to veto "monkey billApril6th,2012ApetitionurgingthevetoofHouseBill368,signedbythousandsofconcernedTennesseans,wasdeliveredtoGovernorBillHaslamsofficeonApril5,2012,MSNBCreports(April5,2012).Nicknamedthe"monkeybill,"HB368would,ifenacted,encourageteacherstopresentthe"scientificstrengthsandscientificweaknesses"oftopicsthatarouse"debateanddisputation"suchas"biologicalevolution,thechemicaloriginsoflife,globalwarming,andhumancloning.(continues) 12. IclaimasmalldegreesofseparationconnectiontotheinfamousTennesseeScopesmonkeytrialof1925:Ilivedunderthesameroof,forashorttime,withoneofClarenceDarrowsexpertwitnesseswhowasnotallowedtotestifyinDayton,TennesseeonbehalfofJohnScopes.(210Westmount)IrememberWintertonCurtis,myfirstlandlord,asakindly,charmingoldmanwhomysteriouslypulleddollarsfrommyear.(TheDaytonjudgewouldveseenthatasproofofhisSatanicnature,nodoubt.)HewasalsoveryrespectfulofthelocalsH.L.Menckenderidedasboobs. 13. ADefenseExpertsImpressionsoftheScopesTrial-fromD-Days at Dayton:Fundamentalism vs Evolution at Dayton, TennesseebyWintertonC.Curtis(1956)Iwasmetatthestationbyoneofmyfellowscientistsanddriventhroughthetowntothehousewhereweweretobequartered(continues) 14. Damned YankeeWintertonCurtis,theScopesexpertwhopulleddollarsfrommyearandprovidedmyfirstsolidroof,recalledamuchmoresouthernColumbia,Missourithanmine,inthesenotespublishedintheColumbiaMissourianin1957.(Imatriculatedin1975,hearrivedin1901.)Thisreprint,oneofthetreasuresfromDadsmemorychest,isfullofsmallsurprisesanddelights.WCCsoldNewEnglandmotherdrewthelinewellnorthofMason-Dixon.No.IcannotgivemyconsenttoWinniesgoingtosuchaplaceasMissouri.continues 15. IfyouwanttolearnmoreaboutScopes,Dayton,andFriendlyAtheism,readMatthewChapmansTrials of the Monkey.Chapman,great-great-great-(great?)grandsonofCharlesDarwinhimself,wentdowntoDaytontotryandunderstandthecuriousbreedofhumanknownasYoungEarthCreationist[more]. 16. Hestilldoesntgetit(anymorethanIdo), butheactuallyconfessestolikingmanyoftheDarwinDeniershemetandspokewithincludingone(KurtWise)whostudiedwithStephenJayGouldatHarvard,beforebeinghiredtoteachbiology(!)toBryanUniversityundergraduates. 17. AndifyouwanttoseeanentertainingdramaticrenditionofScopes,watchSpencerTracyandFredericMarchinInherit the Wind.ScopestrialimagesEdwardLarsonsSummer of the Gods