Evolving in Kansas

• Are you following "Darwin, the Reluctant Revolutionary" on NPR?

  
  
  
  Today's broadcast was "At 150, Darwin's 'Origin' Stirs Even More Debate."
   
  You can read transcripts of this year-long radio series or hear podcasts here.
  
  And you can debunk anti-evolution "arguments" 15 ways here.  [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 5:33pm EST
  

• The case for teaching younger kids about evolution

   Nature's Little Scientists
  
  On the 150th anniversary of On the Origin of Species, an argument for teaching evolution to younger children.
  
  
  William West / AFP-Getty Images
  
  Two young [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 1:04pm EST
  

• Interesting article... Brain-eating tribe could ...

  Interesting article...
  Brain-eating tribe could help find treatment for mad cow disease
  A cannibalistic tribe in Papua New Guinea, whose members used to eat the brains of dead relatives, provides an example of evolution that could help find a treatment for ‘mad cow’ disease, according to scientists.
  [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 2:04pm EST
  

• Step away from the sushi.

  Sushi DNA Tests Reveal Fraud
  by Aaron Rowe
  Wired - November 20, 2009
  
  A biologist walks into a sushi bar and orders some tuna. What does he get? Escolar, a nasty fish with buttery flesh that can cause bizarre episodes of diarrhea, accompanied by a [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 4:34pm EST
  

• KU Student article: "Don't 'believe' in evolution"

  Folmsbee: Don't 'believe' in evolution
  
  
  By Sai Folmsbee
  Wednesday, November 18, 2009
  
  Next Tuesday is the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s revolutionary book “On the Origin of Species.” This will celebrate 150 years of dynamic scientific research' [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 1:17pm EST
  

• Video of KCFS/KCAU event Nov. 6 now ONLINE!

  Apparently, someone did a head count and counted 93 people! That's about 20 more than our maximum estimate. Guests included students from Metro, Johnson County and Longview Community Colleges, members of GKCAU, humanists, KCFS members and others.
  
  Thanks to C. J. Janovy of the Pitch, who blogged about our' [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 4:48pm EST
  

• Even more pix from 10th Anniversary celebration

  Lois and Steve Lopes
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Keith and Ruth Miller (Ian was there, too, but where?)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 1:17pm EST
  

• More Pix from 10th Anniversary

  
     Making the scene
  
  
  Food was great, courtesy KU catering service. Harry welcomes guests.
  
  
  Current KBOE members Janet Waugh and Sue Storm, retired KBOE member Bill Wagnon, Cathy Mallula and polar bear.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 12:53pm EST
  

• Four Presidents - 1999-2009

  Here's a good picture of all four KCFS Presidents at the 10th Anniversary celebration, sent by Steve Lopes. He also sent it to the LJWorld. It may appear in the Society section (Society section???) this weekend. Keep a lookout.
  
  
  From left to right: Jack Krebs,' [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 11:25am EST
  

• Pictures from the Weekend

  Pictures from Saturday. Except for a few cell phone pics, I did not get any Friday evening AU pics so if any one has any I'd appreciate getting copies.
  
  Here are a couple of Josh, Sat afternoon. We spent a couple of delightful hours shooting pictures in the Baker' [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 8:09pm EST
  

• Presidents of KCFS from ...

  Presidents of KCFS from Left to Right
  Jack Krebs, Liz Craig, Harry McDonald
  Steve Lopes. 10th Anniversary Nov. 7, 2009 [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 6:16pm EST
  

• posting pictures

  Hey Mousie,
  
  How do you post pictures? [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 5:55pm EST
  

• KCFS: Celebrating 10 Years

  
  Last night, at the KU Natural History Museum, KCFS members and friends celebrated 10 years of advocacy for sound science education. Food, drink and good fellowship abounded, and after the election of new officers and Board members, President Harry McDonald surprised several long-time Board members with [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 4:24pm EST
  

• More KCFS photos

  
  
  
  
  June 2005 - Lawrence KS - Kansas Citizens for Science post "trial" gathering.
  
  The 3 Amigos! - Pedro, Harry, Jack [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 9:19pm EST
  

• Last night's event at JCCC

  
  The speaker event (see press release below) was a smash hit! The room at JCCC was supposed to hold 75 people, but before the program started, volunteers had to bring out more chairs. Moderator Harry McDonald estimated there were about 90 people there.
  
  The crowd [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 12:33pm EST
  

• KCFS photos from the 2005 KSBOE trial of Darwin

  
  Snapshots from the 'post game analysis' session led by the Kansas Citizens for Science (KCFS) after the KSBOE "trial" of Darwin in May 2005. State Capitol, Topeka, KS.
  
  Note Josh Rosenau (with two name tags), then a grad student at [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 12:20pm EST
  

• Tonight at JCCC -- KCFS/KCAU event! Free!

  JCCC speaker event Nov. 6 celebrates 150th anniversary of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" NEWS RELEASE -- FOR RELEASE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2, 2009
  
  Contact:          Liz Craig (KCFS)                      Lynne H. Schulze (AU)
  Phone:            913-236-7595                             913-633-2479                 
  Email:             lizard6849@yahoo.com            lynnehs@gmail.com
  
  In' [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 11:54am EST
  

• NOVA "Becoming Human" Part 1 airs tonight

  NOVA: Becoming Human Part 1 tonight on PBS. Check local listings for time.
  
  First Steps: Six million years ago, what set our ancestors on the path from ape to human? [tr.im] 
  [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 11:15am EST
  

• WEBCAST: THE MAKING OF THE FITTEST

  
  Hear NCSE Supporter Sean B. Carroll discuss "The Making of the
  Fittest: Natural Selection and the DNA Record of Evolution" on-line!
  >From 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. (Eastern) on Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 
  Carroll will deliver the third lecture of the 150th anniversary Origin of Species
  lecture series, hosted by [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 10:24am EST
  

• JCCC speaker event Nov. 6 celebrates 150th anniversary of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species"

  NEWS RELEASE -- FOR RELEASE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2, 2009
  
  Contact:          Liz Craig (KCFS)                      Lynne H. Schulze (AU)
  Phone:            913-236-7595                             913-633-2479                 
  Email:             lizard6849@yahoo.com            lynnehs@gmail.com
  
  In recognition of the 150th Anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species,” [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 1:14pm EST
  

• Sen. Al Franken Kicks A** at Health Care Reform Hearing

  [...]
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  Posted: October 24, 2009, 5:50pm EDT
  

• Ten Myths About Charles Darwin

  
  Kevin Padian discusses -- and debunks -- "Ten Myths about Charles
  Darwin" in the October 2009 issue of BioScience. "Charles Darwin is
  one of the most revered (and at times reviled) figures in Western
  history. A great many 'facts' about him and his ideas are the stuff of
  textbook" [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 1:34pm EDT
  

• New Prehistoric Timeline from National Geographic

  Got questions about the evolution of life on our planet?
  
  
  Want to know when the first tetrapods appeared? When the first pollen-carrying plants came onboard? Check out the neat new timeline on the Nat Geo website.
  
  Very cool. [...]
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  Posted: October 19, 2009, 12:47pm EDT
  

• The Grandeur of Life: Darwin Exhibit at Linda Hall Library

  
  This past weekend, I dropped into the LHL to see the current exhibit, "The Grandeur of Life," honoring the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" and Darwin's 200th birthday. A friend of mine, Michael Irvin, designed all the posters, [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 5:04pm EDT
  

• Talking About Darwin and Evolution - 150th Anniversary of "On the Origin of Species"

  
  In recognition of the 150th Anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”
  
      150 Years On, What’s All
      The Fuss About Evolution,
      Science Education and
      Church and State?
  
      Date:        [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2009, 9:44am EDT
  

• Most Kansas teachers aren't anti-evolution ...

  Most Kansas teachers aren't anti-evolution
  
  By John Richard SchrockA new survey shows Kansas secondary biology teachers have the lowest rates of creationist belief of teachers in any of the states surveyed. The survey results — presented at a September conference of the Kansas Association of Biology Teachers and' [...]
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  Posted: October 08, 2009, 11:58am EDT
  

• Brownback's approval rating plunges

  Just received this good news today from the Kansas Democratic Party:
  
  In case you missed it from late last week. SurveyUSA released its monthly tracking poll on Senator Sam Brownback, finding a staggering six-point drop in his approval at 48%. Brownback now finds himself under [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2009, 2:28pm EDT
  

• Darwin shows on PBS in October

  This fall, NOVA is celebrating the 200th anniversary year of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his famous book the Origin of Species with three evolution-themed programs.
  
  Each film will approach the topic of evolution in a different way. To kick off NOVA's fall season [...]
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  Posted: October 02, 2009, 7:43pm EDT
  

• 4.4 Million-Year-Old Early Human Sheds Light on Last Common Ancestor

  INTRODUCING ARDI: This early hominid is more than a million years older than famed Lucy and presents a wealth of new information--and speculation--about how humans first embarked on our long evolutionary journey.
  
  And the best name they could come up with was "Ardi?"
  Scientific American
  [...]
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  Posted: October 02, 2009, 11:20pm EDT
  

• Richard Dawkins interview on Colbert's Comedy Central Show

  
  For many years, evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins has been the creationists' favorite target. "See?" they say, "Dawkins is a scientist, and he's an atheist. So that means all scientists are atheists, and evolution is an atheist attack on Christianity."
  
  Well, if you [...]
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  Posted: October 01, 2009, 11:13pm EDT
  

• Kirk Cameron ("Banana Man") to distribute jiggered copies of "Origin" to students

  
  Origin of the Specious
  By David Waters - Washington Post
  Living Waters, an evangelical Creationist ministry fronted by former TV-sitcom star Kirk Cameron ("Growing Pains"), plans to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's "Origin of the Species" in November by' [...]
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  Posted: September 27, 2009, 11:42am EDT
  

• Why the U.S. needs health care reform.

  We pay more for our health care than most other countries, and we get less for our dollars. The U.S. infant mortality rate is the third-worst among OECD countries. And there's more...
  Comparing U.S. Healthcare Spending With Other OECD* Countries
  July 5, 2009
  
  [...]
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  Posted: September 26, 2009, 12:06pm EDT
  

• Even other nutcakes back away from Glen Beck

  
  When Limbaugh and other hate-mongers criticize your hate-mongering, maybe it's time to shut up and go home.
  
  ARTICLE EXCERPT:
  On Tuesday, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough blasted Beck, and argued that the Fox News personality may be fomenting violence. "You cannot preach hatred," Scarborough said. [...]
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  Posted: September 26, 2009, 11:16am EDT
  

• New "They Might Be Giants" video "Meet the Elements"

  How animation and cool music can make learning science fun for kids:
  
  [...]
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  Posted: September 25, 2009, 10:17pm EDT
  

• "Creation" film has U.S. distributor after all

  A couple of weeks ago, the producer of "Creation," a movie about Charles Darwin and his discoveries, was lamenting the fact that every other developed nation in the world had a distributor for this film except the U.S. Well, now, that has changed. We'll get to see the movie' [...]
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  Posted: September 25, 2009, 11:39pm EDT
  

• Dinosaur Adventure Land Update: Dr. Dino's son negotiating to get it back from the government

  
  I hate, really hate, using World Nut Daily as a news source. But this is the only link I could find to the most recent development in the Dr. Dino theme park saga.
  
  As you recall, Dr. Dino, a.k.a. Kent Hovind, was [...]
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  Posted: September 24, 2009, 2:55pm EDT
  

• Obama's talk to schoolchildren

  Obviously, President Obama is trying to indoctrinate innocent young kids ... to do well in school and stay in school.
  
  Horrors! What kind of Commie pinko monster is this guy?
  
  To all those parents and schools who "protected" their kids from hearing this indoctrination, "Good" [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 1:17pm EDT
  

• Parents scared to let school children be "indoctrinated" by President

  As Tom Brokaw says, "This is completely out of control." Blame fear-mongers and paranoid conspiracy theorists like Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh. Their followers don't trust Obama in any way, shape or form. How a message to do well in school and stay in school could possibly be [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2009, 11:31am EDT
  

• Glenn Beck: Nervous breakdown on public view

  
  Normally, when people start raving and seeing things nobody else sees, someone takes them by the arm and leads them to the nearest mental health center. But Fox News puts their mental health cases on the air.
  
  Right-wing commentator Glenn Beck is so close to the edge, he [...]
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  Posted: September 05, 2009, 6:20pm EDT
  

• Evolutionary T-shirts are banned for band

  
  Here's yet another example of cowardly officials kowtowing to an ignorant but vocal minority. They don't understand that evolutionary science has moved far beyond Darwin, or that it has nothing to do with religion. Aaaargh.
  Band shirts hit wrong note with parent August 28,' [...]
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  Posted: August 30, 2009, 2:26pm EDT
  

• Rep. Barney Frank chastizes health care reform protesters

  Rep. Barney Frank doesn't have to yell or interrupt protesters to make a point. He simply asks if they want to have a productive conversation. Watch:
  
  
  
  
  Read story here.' [...]
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  Posted: August 19, 2009, 3:09pm EDT
  

• Intelligent Design, Online Edition

  At left, William Dembski contemplates the rapid downward trajectory of his once-promising academic career because of his being an IDiot.
  
  Barrett Brown, author of "Flock of Dodos: Behind Modern Creationism, Intelligent Design, and the Easter Bunny," takes on William Dembski in this spot-on article. [...]
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  Posted: August 11, 2009, 7:50pm EDT
  

• Psychopaths have faulty brain connections. No kidding!

  
  I just heard a news report that the guy who kept his teenaged daughter prisoner in the basement for years, raped and fathered children with her has been diagnosed with (1) psychosis; (2) schizophrenia; and (3) an overlay of sexual perversion. He's in the nuthouse [...]
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  Posted: August 09, 2009, 9:25pm EDT
  

• How Limpets Do It

  Go here, watch this. Isabella Rossellini did a whole series of short films about the reproductive habits of various critters for a Webby-award-winning Sundance Channel series. So far, I like the limpet one best. See what you think.
  
  For more "Green Porno," go here. [...]
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  Posted: August 09, 2009, 7:45pm EDT
  

• Letter to Kathleen Parker, Washington Post columnist

  Dear Kathleen,
  
  Thank you for including in your August 9 article the fact that some (if not most) of these town hall meeting disruptions are being orchestrated by Dick Armey's FreedomWorks and others. But you failed to make enough of the false issues about which these "astroturf" protesters [...]
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  Posted: August 08, 2009, 12:21pm EDT
  

• Bill Maher: Smart President, Dumb Country

  When we talk about developing countries, we say that education is their peoples' ticket out of provincialism, tribalism, and poverty. That it is. But without a continued emphasis on education, societies tend to slip back. For example, take the Middle East.
  
  Centuries before the Enlightenment' [...]
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  Posted: August 07, 2009, 5:10pm EDT
  

• Francis Shaeffer explains why conservatives are rampaging

  
  Frank Shaeffer, son of the famous evangelist also named Frank Shaeffer, turned in his right-wing religious nutcake credentials long ago. Like Saul on the road to Damascus, the younger Shaeffer saw the light and realized how wrong many of the positions of his former community [...]
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  Posted: August 07, 2009, 4:13pm EDT
  

• Ben Stein loses his NYTimes column over another sleazy endorsement

  Ben Stein's downward trajectory since he was a Presidential economic advisor has been rather stunning. We were a little surprised to see him doing a game show ("Ben Stein's Money"), but it was a rather smart show, so we cut him some slack. But when he starred in the lie-filled [...]
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  Posted: August 07, 2009, 3:58pm EDT
  

• Dr. Dino's Creationist Theme Park to be Seized by Feds

  Dinosaur Adventure Land is soon to become extinct.
  
  My, how these "Christianists" do lie, cheat and steal. Dr. Dino, a.k.a. Kent Hovind, was convicted in November 2006 on 58 counts, including failing to pay employee taxes and making threats against investigators. He's spending 10' [...]
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  Posted: August 07, 2009, 1:01pm EDT
  

• And now, for something completely different...

  I blasted the Palm Pre TV spots and received a nasty e-mail from someone who is *not* a Pre user, but whose brother is. Of course, any reviewer knows writing nasty is more fun than writing nice. But this time, I must not only write nice but also throw roses [...]
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  Posted: August 02, 2009, 11:45am EDT