1. JUDGE JOHN JONES TO SPEAK AT UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA.
Judge Jones ruled in the now famous Kitzmiller trial in Dover, PA that intelligent design is religion and not science will give a public lecture at OU on 30 October at 4:00 P.M. in the OU College of Law Bell Court Room. The College of Law is located on Timberdell at the south end of the main campus. The trial is the subject of three books and a NOVA video http://evolutionlist.blogspot.com/2008/07/dover-monkey-trial.html . Although the Federal Court case applies only to a district in PA it will certainly be used in any future trials on religion in science classes.
2. ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL OESE WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS.
Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education held the eighth annual workshop of teaching evolution at the OU Biological Station on Lake Texoma, 5–7 October. For the first time teachers from north Texas were included. OESE is considering offering a similar workshop next year, but the main subject will be on the science of climate change.
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3. OKLAHOMA SCIENCE TEACHERS CONFERENCE., 10 NOVEMBER.
The OSTA Fall Conference, the largest and best science professional development opportunity in the state will take place Saturday, November 10th at the University of Central Oklahoma. “Saving The World Through Science.” OESE is sponsoring a symposium on climate change organized by Dr. Kevin Kloesel, Oklahoma State Climatologist, Associate Dean of the College of Meteorology, and a Board member of OESE. OESE will also have a table for free handouts and information on OESE. Science teachers are urged to attend and participate in advancing science education in the State.
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4. OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE ANNUAL MEETING, 9 NOV 2012.
The meeting will be held at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. Information and registration is available HERE. Meals and seating at the noon luncheon and plenary presentation is limited. Dr. Victor H. Hutchison, George Lynn Cross Research Professor Emeritus, in the Department of Biology at the University of Oklahoma will give the plenary talk on ‘Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education: History and Activities.’ As usual there are many sessions of interests to Oklahoma scientists. See the OAS web page for details.
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5. OESE ANNUAL MEETING, SUNDAY, 18 NOVEMBER 2012.
The annual meeting will be at 2:00 P.M. at the Oklahoma Biological Survey (OBS) building on Sunday, 9 November. The Survey building is east of Lloyd Noble Center on the east side of Jenkins Avenue. OBS is north of the Weather Center. A review of 2012 activities and, especially, plans for the future, will be discussed and the election of a President-elect announced. Members are urged to attend and participate. The Workshop Committee will meet at 1:30 to discuss future directions.
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6. CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE AMERICAN MIND: SEPTEMBER 2012.
[From NCSE, 18 Oct 2012. Read full report at the NCSE link. The increase in the acceptance of climate change is encouraging, but many still do not accept that humans are a major cause. ]
“Encouraging news about the level of public acceptance of climate change in the United States is at hand. The executive summary of Climate Change in the American Mind: Americans’ Global Warming Beliefs and Attitudes in September 2012 reports (PDF), “For the first time since 2008, more than half of Americans (54%) believe global warming is caused mostly by human activities.” Moreover, “[f]or the first time since November 2008, Americans are more likely to believe most scientists agree that global warming is happening than believe there is disagreement on the subject.”
7. THE FRESHWATER CASE.
[We have not previously reported on this interesting case of a creationist teacher in Ohio that has now been going on for some time with appeals, etc. This report from NCSE summarizes the case and the latest machinations now before the Ohio Supreme Court.]
[…] “In 2008, a local family accused Freshwater, a Mount Vernon, Ohio, middle school science teacher, of engaging in inappropriate religious activity and sued Freshwater and the district. Based on the results of an independent investigation, the Mount Vernon City School Board voted to begin proceedings to terminate his employment. After thorough administrative hearings that proceeded over two years and involved more than eighty witnesses, the presiding referee issued his recommendation that the board terminate Freshwater’s employment with the district, and the board voted to do so in January 2011. (The family’s lawsuit against Freshwater was settled in the meantime. […].
“All these briefs and additional documents relevant to Freshwater’s termination and the subsequent court case are available on NCSE’s website. Extensive blog coverage of the Freshwater saga, including Richard B. Hoppe’s day-by-day account of Freshwater’s termination hearing, is available at The Panda’s Thumb blog; search for “Freshwater”. Hoppe also recently contributed “Dover Comes to Ohio” (PDF) — a detailed account from a local observer of the whole fracas, from the precipitating incident to Freshwater’s appeal — to Reports of the National Center for Science Education 32:1.”
“The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe it”
—- Neil de Grasse Tyson