The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is a not-for-profit membership organization in the United States whose stated mission is to educate the press and the public on the scientific and educational aspects of controversies surrounding the teaching of evolution and climate change, and to provide information and resources to schools, parents, and other citizens working to keep those topics in public school science education.
In 1980 Stanley L. Weinberg, a veteran high-school teacher in Iowa, began to organize statewide Committees of Correspondence "committed to the defense of education in evolutionary theory," modelled upon the committees of correspondence in pre-Revolutionary America. Their purpose was to keep interested parties informed about creationist endeavours and to share ideas for responses, allowing a political response at a local level. This grew into volunteer networks in most states, with the Creation/Evolution Newsletter interconnecting them,[6] which was incorporated as the NCSE in 1983.[7] In 1987, author and lecturer Eugenie Scott became its executive director.[8] The Board of Directors and official supporters, as explained by NCSE, "reflects our scientific roots."[This quote needs a citation]
In the 1990s, based upon its monitoring of creationist efforts, it issued warnings of high levels of official anti-evolutionism and a "sharp surge upwards" in creationist attacks on evolution, including attempts to downgrade evolution from "fact" to "theory" (see evolution as theory and fact) or present the "evidence against evolution" (see objections to evolution).[9]
Amanda L. Townley has been the organization's Executive Director since December 2023. She replaced Ann Reid, who had been appointed to the position in 2013. Previously, Eugenie C. Scott served as executive director for 27 years, 1986 to 2013.[10][11]
Activities and programs
The NCSE maintains up-to-date listings of current events and information regarding creationist and antievolution advocacy, as well as about evolution education.[12] Historian of science Michael Shermer describes its website as being one of "the two best resources on the Internet on the evolution/creation topic" (the other being TalkOrigins Archive).[13] The NCSE also opposes intelligent design and other "alternatives" to evolution because it says they are misleading euphemisms for creationism.[14]
The NCSE offers a variety of lecturers, including biologists, anthropologists, philosophers, and theologians, for topics relating to evolution, science, and education.[17] Also it hosts activities including trips and conferences.[18] It publishes Reports of the National Center for Science Education bimonthly, containing peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, and news.[19] From 1980 to 1997, it published the Creation/Evolution Journal, which has since been merged into Reports of the National Center for Science Education.[20] Additionally, it publishes books, such as a compilation of scientific analyses of creationist books.[21]
In 2003, the NCSE gained international attention with Project Steve.[22]
In 2005, the NCSE assisted the plaintiffs in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, the most prominent case testing the constitutionality of intelligent design in public school science classes, and put their extensive library of creationist materials at the plaintiffs' disposal. Nick Matzke, the NCSE's Public Information Project Director at the time, served as liaison to the legal team, and was responsible for uncovering the substitution of "intelligent design" for "creationism" within drafts of Of Pandas and People, which became a devastating part of the testimony of Barbara Forrest (also an NCSE Director),[23] and was cited extensively in Judge John E. Jones III's decision.[24]
In April 2008, the NCSE launched Expelled Exposed, a website critical of the alleged documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed starring Ben Stein.[25] The website received press attention and a large amount of traffic.[26]
In 2012, the NCSE announced they would be engaged in efforts to keep climate change education, and global warming issues, safe from threats from special interests.[27] They have developed a series of lessons addressing climate change misconceptions and offer teacher training through a Teacher Ambassador program. [28]
Media
Eugenie Scott appeared on Uncommon Knowledge, as NCSE spokesperson, twice in 2001 debating intelligent design creationist William A. Dembski.[29][30] Then in 2004, NCSE was represented by Scott on Penn and Teller's Showtime television show Bullshit! on the episode "Creationism".[31] Scott offered scientific views about the creationist and intelligent design movements. She noted, "it would be unfair to tell students that there is a serious dispute going on among scientists whether evolution took place. There's not." She further noted that
"a lot of the time the creationists ... they'll search through scientific journals and try to pull out something they think demonstrates evolution doesn't work and there is a kind of interesting rationale behind it. Their theology is such that if one thing is wrong with the Bible you have to throw it all out so that's why Genesis has to be interpreted literally. They look at science the same way. If one little piece of the evolutionary puzzle doesn't fit the whole thing has to go." Scott then explained "that's not the way science is done."
