Nobel laureates back repeal of Louisiana creationist bill
APR 26, 2011
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.025254
New Scientist : Forty-two Nobel laureates have written a letter backing the repeal of a Louisiana law allowing creationism to be taught in science classes, writes Andy Coghlan for New Scientist. Under the Louisiana Science Education Act of 2008, teachers can include their own “supplementary materials” to widen debate on such science subjects as evolution, cloning, and global warming. In the letter , the laureates, which include 17 physicists, 17 chemists, and 8 other scientists, state unequivocally their reasons the law should be repealed:
Louisiana’s students deserve to be taught proper science rather than religion presented as science. Science offers testable, and therefore falsifiable, explanations for natural phenomena. Because it requires supernatural explanations of natural phenomena, creationism does not meet these standards.
A 17-year-old Baton Rouge high-school student, who spearheaded the fight to get the law repealed by rallying students, clergy, and members of the business community, posted the laureates’ letter on his Facebook page Save Science in Louisiana!
© 2011 American Institute of Physics
