Category Archives: evolution

State-funded brain-washing

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BBC: Catholic pupils ‘invited to sign anti-gay marriage petition’
Education Secretary Michael Gove is to examine claims the Catholic Education Service (CES) broke impartiality rules on the topic of gay marriage…

“Schools have a responsibility under law to ensure children are insulated from political activity and campaigning in the classroom,” said a Department for Education spokesperson. “While faith schools, rightly, have the freedom to teach about sexual relations and marriage in the context of their own religion, that should not extend to political campaigning.”

Rightly? Would it be equally right for so-called faith schools to have the freedom to teach the biological sciences, say, ‘in the context of their own religion’?

And the winner is…

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Jen reckons my item about Miss USA contestants being ‘scared to death’ at the prospect of having to answer questions on evolution and nudity was simply a pathetic excuse for upping the babe-count on Gruts.

I countered that my fascination in all things Darwinian is a matter of public record.

The winner

Darwinner! Miss California shortly before becoming Miss USA last week.

In the interest of completeness, I feel it is my duty to report that the eventual winner of the Miss USA competiton was Miss California, Alyssa Campanella, 21.

Furthermore, I am delighted to announce that Miss Campanella is very much in favour of teaching evolution in schools, describing herself as a huge science geek.

Science geeks never looked like that when I was doing physics at university.

Anyhow, it occurs to me that you will probably be interested in hearing what the combined intellects of the 2011 Miss USA contestants have to say of the subject of teaching evolution in school.

So here’s the video (with apologies in advance for the nauseating intro):


 

Survival of the fittest

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Fox News: Miss USA Contestants ‘Scared to Death’ About Evolution, Nudity Questions

Scared to death Miss USA contestantsIn on-camera interviews set to be posted on the official Miss USA website, 2011 pageant hopefuls are being asked if they believe evolution should be taught in schools, and if they would ever pose for nude photographs…

“The girls are scared to death…” said Keith Lewis … executive state pageant director for California, New York and New Hampshire. “The girls are concerned that there is a right or wrong answer. Polarizing questions often create a situation where you suffer … if you agree, and if you do not. The girls need to answer in a way that brings them to a common ground.”

Coincidentally, ‘do you believe evolution should be taught in schools?’ and ‘would you ever pose for nude photographs?’ are two of my favourite chat-up lines. Which finally explains why I never managed to cop-off with any Miss USA contestants.

Thinking about it, wouldn’t the world be a much better place if we left all ‘controversial’ questions to Miss USA contestants to find ‘common ground’ on behalf of all mankind? We could banish hunger and bring about world peace at the say-so on a bunch of bikini-clad babes. What’s not to like? It has to be better than leaving such matters to parliamentary process and international diplomacy.

Bad example, chaps

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BBC: Starch ‘fuel of human evolution’

Man’s ability to digest starchy foods like the potato may explain our success on the planet, genetic work suggests.

According to current evolutionary theory, man evolved in Africa, whereas the potato evolved in South America. The two were not destined to meet until long after human beings had evolved their ability to digest starch.

Pedantic, I know, but the next thing you know, the tabloids will be claiming that we evolved from chips, not chimps.

(And yes, I know we didn’t evolve from chimps, but the tabloids probably don’t.)