Summary: Science and society
1134 TheJournalofClinicalInvestigation http://www.jci.org Volume116 Number5 May2006
Defending science education against
intelligent design: a call to action
Alan D. Attie,1 Elliot Sober,2 Ronald L. Numbers,3 Richard M. Amasino,1 Beth Cox,4
Terese Berceau,5 Thomas Powell,6 and Michael M. Cox1
1Department of Biochemistry, 2Department of Philosophy, and 3Department of Medical History and Bioethics, University of Wisconsin­Madison, Madison,
Wisconsin, USA. 4Cox Law Office, Oregon, Wisconsin, USA. 5Wisconsin State Legislature, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. 6Office of T. Berceau,
Wisconsin State Legislature, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Wereviewherethecurrentpoliticallandscapeandourowneffortstoaddresstheattemptstounder-
minescienceeducationinWisconsin.Tomountaneffectiveresponse,expertiseinevolutionarybiol-
ogyandinthehistoryofthepubliccontroversyisusefulbutnotessential.However,enteringthe
frayrequiresaminimaltoolkitofinformation.Here,wesummarizesomeofthescientificandlegal
historyofthisissueandlistaseriesofactionsthatscientistscantaketohelpfacilitategoodscience
educationandanimprovedatmosphereforthescientificenterprisenationally.Finally,weprovide
somemodellegislationthathasbeenintroducedinWisconsintostrengthentheteachingofscience.
Thepastdecadehasseenbreathtakingprogressinevolutionary
biology,thankslargelytothefruitsofgenomesequencingproj-
ects.Themolecularfootprintslinkingalllifeontheplanetare
nowfleshedoutinrichdetail,andwepossessachronometerof

Source: Amasino, Richard M. - Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Attie, Alan D. - Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Cox, Michael M. - Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin at Madison

Collections: Biology and Medicine