Re: Creationists win the schools in New Mexico

Michael Grice (gibgric@mailbag.com)
Sun, 01 Sep 1996 17:56:32 GMT

[Posted and emailed.]

mycol1@unm.edu (Bryant) blessed us with the following wisdom:

>In article <32276B2E.D84@madison.tec.wi.us>,
>George Cooper <gwc2406@madison.tec.wi.us> wrote:

>>At the trial, Clarence Darrow held up the tooth of an extinct pig and
>>claimed that it was from Nebraska Man!

>>GC

>I would like to see the reference for this assertion. Especially since
>the judge specifically disallowed the introduction of scientific evidence
>relevant to the issue of creationism vs. scientific views of life's origins.

Actually, George is right about this one. According to the "Nebraska
Man" entry in Richard Milner's _Encyclopedia of Evolution_, the tooth
was introduced as "evolutionary evidence" in the trial.

The Scopes trial just happened to fit into the five year period
between the discovery of the molar and the discovery that it belonged
to an extinct pig.

What this has to do with George's argument, I don't know. We already
knew that scientists were human. While not one of the brighter
moments in the history of science, no one has claimed this as evidence
for evolution since, oh, 1927.

And it certainly wasn't creationists who discovered the error.

[snip]

Michael Grice
gibgric@mailbag.com