monkey debate (part I)

Recently the state of Kansas has become the center of a debate concerning which theory of the Earth’s origin should be taught in public schools. Conservative groups and pro-Creation agencies contend that the theory of evolution does not provide enough scientific evidence to secure it as the only logical explanation for life on Earth. They argue that gaps in evolutionary theory indicate the presence of a creator who played a guiding role in the planet’s creation. They are therefore fighting to include the theory of “intelligent design” alongside the theory of evolution in the public school curriculum, and have launched a fanatical campaign to undercut the theory of evolution in every way possible.

Although the scientific community was initially dumbfounded by the fact that moral conservatism could threaten even the most widely accepted scientific facts, it quickly recovered to initiate damage control and launch rejoinders at its challengers. The debates that ensued between the two sides range from the intellectual and provocative to the petty and hilarious.

At one point, in an effort to prove that a large number of scientists support other explanations of the Earth’s origin, the Discovery Institute (the strongest advocate of the “intelligent design” theory) published a list of 356 scientists who questioned evolution. In return, the National Center for Science Education released its own list of 543 scientists ‘overwhelmingly in favor’ of evolution—all named Steve.

Who knew evolutionary scientists could be so goddamned funny? Wouldn’t it be ironic and strangely satisfying if these nerds won the debate not based on the overwhelming scientific evidence supporting the theory of common ancestry, but on their clever wit and ensuing popularity?