Monday, March 26, 2007

"Intelligent Design" at SMU

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IN THIS MORNING'S Inside Higher Ed we learn that

The departments of anthropology, biology and geology have asked Southern Methodist University to block the Christian Legal Society from holding a conference to promote “intelligent design” as a legitimate scientific theory, The Dallas Morning News reported. The departments say that the event is designed to give a false impression that these views actually have significant academic support. SMU officials aren’t blocking the event, but have stated that allowing it to take place does not signal endorsement.

This will remind long-time denizens of the South Orange County Community College District of trustee Steven Frogue’s plan to hold a seminar on the Warren Commission back in 1997. The fellow had invited four “experts”—conspiracy theorists, some of whom were connected to Liberty Lobby, the country’s chief anti-Semitic organization. Frogue himself had weathered controversy regarding whether he routinely denied the Holocaust while teaching his High School history classes (at Foothill High).

Despite warnings regarding the nature of the speakers from a local ADL official, the board approved the seminar, unleashing a wave of controversy across the country (and even internationally). In response, he pulled the plug on it.

Also in this morning’s Inside Higher Ed: Fooling the College Board:

To demonstrate flaws of SAT writing test, MIT professor coached student on how to get a good score on a lousy essay — and pulled it off.

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