Eugenie Carol Scott (born October 24, 1945) is an American physical anthropologist who has been active in opposing the teaching of young Earth creationism and intelligent design in schools. She coined the term "Gish gallop" to describe a fallacious rhetorical technique of overwhelming an interlocutor with as many individually weak arguments as possible, in order to prevent rebuttal of the whole argument.
From 1986 to 2014,[1] Scott served as the Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, a nonprofit science education organization supporting teaching of evolutionary science. Since 2013, Scott has been listed on their advisory council.[2]
In 1980, Scott worked to prevent creationism from being taught in the public schools of Lexington, Kentucky. Scott was appointed the executive director of the National Center for Science Education in 1987, the year in which requiring the teaching of creation science in American public schools was deemed illegal by the Supreme Court in Edwards v. Aguillard. Scott announced that she would be retiring from this position by the end of 2013,[7][8] doing so on 6 January 2014. Her place was taken by Ann Reid.[9]
Scott is an expert on creationism and intelligent design. Her book Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction was published by Greenwood Press in 2004 and then in paperback by the University of California Press in 2005. Niles Eldredge wrote the foreword in the first edition. A second edition of the book was published in 2008 and in paperback in 2009. The foreword to this edition was written by John E. Jones III, who was the presiding judge in the Kitzmiller v. Dover court case.[13][14]
In 2006 Jon D. Miller, Scott and Shinji Okamoto had a brief article published in Science entitled "Public Acceptance of Evolution", an analysis of polling on the acceptance of evolution from the last 20 years in the United States and compared to other countries.[15][16]Turkey had the lowest acceptance of evolution in the survey, with the United States having the next-lowest, though the authors saw a positive in the higher percentage of Americans who are unsure about evolution, and therefore "reachable" for evolution.[17]
Academic recognition
As of 2023 Scott has been the recipient of 10 honorary degrees.
In 2004, Scott represented the National Center for Science Education on the Showtime television show Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, on the episode titled "Creationism", where she offered philosophical views about the creationist and intelligent design movements.[45]
Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
In 2005, Scott and other NCSE staff served as scientific and educational consultants for the plaintiffs in the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District case regarding the teaching of intelligent design in public schools. Judge John Jones ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. Scott said that "we won decisively" and "in triplicate", and "we had the better case."[38] About the merits of the case, she said, "Within evolutionary biology, we argue about the details... and the mechanisms," but "we don't argue about whether living things descended with modification from common ancestors, which is what biological evolution is all about.... The Dover School Board wanted students to doubt whether evolution had taken place."[38]
Awards
Awards and Recognition
Year
Award
Awarded by
Description
1998
Isaac Asimov Science Award
American Humanist Association
Given to recognize specific accomplishments that advance humanism[46]
1999
Bruce Alberts Award for Excellence in Science Education
American Society for Cell Biology
Awarded to an individual who has demonstrated innovative and sustained contributions to science education, with particular emphasis on the broad local, regional, and/or national impact[47]
1999
First Amendment Award
Hugh Hefner Foundation
Recognizes the efforts of an individual in defending the First Amendment[48]
2001
Public Service Award
Geological Society of America
Presented in honor of Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker, whose scientific work and generosity in sharing it inspired and stimulated the public's curiosity about the universe around them[49]
2002
AIBS Outstanding Service Award
American Institute of Biological Sciences
Given annually in recognition of an individual's and organization's noteworthy service to the biological sciences, especially integrative and organismal biology[50]
2002
National Science Board Public Service Award
National Science Board
The award recognizes outstanding contributions in communicating, promoting, or helping to develop broad public policy in science and engineering (Note: The Award has since been renamed the NSB Science and Society Award)[51]
2002
Margaret Nicholson Distinguished Service Award
California Science Teachers Association
CSTA's highest honor, the citation commemorates Scott "in recognition of your many contributions to science education, your leadership and service, and your positive impact on the quality of science teaching in California."[52]
2006
Anthropology in the Media Award
American Anthropological Association
Honors those who have raised public awareness of anthropology and have had a broad and sustained public impact at local, national, and international levels[53]
The American Association for the Advancement of Science
Honors scientists and engineers whose exemplary actions, often taken at significant personal cost, have served to foster scientific freedom and responsibility[55]
2009
The Stephen J Gould Prize
Society for the Study of Evolution
Recognizes "individuals whose sustained and exemplary efforts have advanced public understanding of evolutionary science and its importance in biology, education, and everyday life in the spirit of Stephen Jay Gould."[56]
2009
The Fellows Medal
California Academy of Sciences.
Awarded in recognition of a recipient's notable contributions to one or more of the natural sciences[57]
2010
The Public Welfare Medal
U.S. National Academy of Sciences
"For championing the teaching of evolution in the United States and for providing leadership to the National Center for Science Education."[58]
2012
The Richard Dawkins Award
Atheist Alliance of America
Awarded to individuals it judges to have raised the public consciousness of atheism[59]
2014
Lifetime Achievement Award
American Humanist Association
Recognizes the accomplishments and work of the individuals reflecting humanist values up to the date of the award and in concert with the prevailing humanist thought of the time[60]
2014
James Randi Award for Skepticism in the Public Interest
James Randi Educational Foundation
Award in recognition of Scott's outstanding achievements as an advocate for scientific skepticism and her promotion of science education[61]
2018
The Pojeta Award
Paleontological Society
The award recognizes "exceptional professional or public service by individuals or groups in the field of paleontology above and beyond that of existing formal roles or responsibilities"[62]
2019
Fellow for the German Skeptic group
Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften [English translation: Society for the Scientific Investigation of Parasciences]
Given to those who uphold scientific skepticism[63]
2022
Lifetime Achievement Award
California Freethought Day Committee
"Under her leadership, NCSE fought against 'intelligent design' and climate change denial in public schools."[64]
Personal life
Scott and her husband, lawyer Thomas C. Sager, have one daughter and reside in Berkeley, California.
^My Favorite Pseudoscience, Eugenie Scott, from Skeptical Odysseys: Personal Accounts by the World's Leading Paranormal Inquirers. Paul Kurtz, ed. Amherst (NY): Prometheus Books, 2001, p 245-56.
^"Notable Signers". Humanism and Its Aspirations. American Humanist Association. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2012.
^Scott, Eugenie (2009). Evolution Vs. Creationism: An Introduction. University of California Press. ISBN978-0-520-26187-7.