Predicting rough times ahead for teaching about evolution?
The shocking-but-not-surprising decision of the U.S. Supreme Court today raises many questions. Even setting aside the issues in the case, there are interesting questions that arise. Here are some that puzzle me:
- What would this court do if asked to decide a case similar to the Dover School Board case?
- Would all lower courts rule against such a school board, with the case appealed to the Supreme Court?
- Or would the increasing number of conservative justices who have been vetted by the Federalist Society allow the Supreme Court to dodge such an issue by letting the pro-ID or pro-creationism ruling of an appeals court stand, by refusing to hear the case?
- How soon can we expect the Discovery Institute to lawyer-up and decide that its original position of "Teach The Controversy" is maybe not such a bad approach after all?
- What's the latest on threats to the teaching of evolution in countries where ultraconservative nationalist movements are in power or nearing it? Hungary? Poland? Russia? Turkey? Brazil? India?
- In countries such as Australia or Canada where there are more conservative and less conservative provinces, what local controversies are there about the teaching of evolution?
- Will evaluating the flaws in arguments against evolutionary biology have any effect on legal or political decisions?
Discuss. I suspect that there is enough to discuss without going around in endless circles in the same old abortion rights debate. (Click on the title of this post to go to the comments).