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Molecular biology has sharpened the focus on the apparent boundary of irreducible complexity in life forms. Related fields of science keep producing data on the immense quantity of information programmed into life, by all appearances, from its very genesis.
Still, the public teaching of science in Idaho remains focused on an "evolution only" agenda for origins science, as reflected in our current state teaching standards. Now Idaho scientists are observing something more ominous, and at close range: the threat to academic freedom in teaching accurate science. Recent events are documented at www.discovery.org, in a post titled "Academic Persecution of Scientists and Scholars Researching Intelligent Design is a Dangerous and Growing Trend."
Is this local agenda sustainable, or even desirable? We don't think so. Despite opposition from "mainstream" advocates, science must begin to go where the data leads, and address the controversy over accurate teaching of the concepts in evolution. Across the United States teaching standards are being revised to reflect more complete scientific information, especially in the "hot button" area of human life origins. It is time for this process in Idaho, and a majority of stakeholder's and taxpayer's would seem to agree.
Change will not happen overnight. Science for Academic Freedom in Education is committed to fostering a safe forum for rational scientific dialogue in Idaho. Other important goals of SAFE are to regain academic teaching freedoms threatened by recent events at Idaho institutions of higher learning, and to begin the task of revising Idaho science teaching standards to better reflect the realities of current scientific data.
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