In 1981, the Louisiana Legislature passed Act 685 which requires all public schools to provide balanced instruction for creation-science and evolution-science beginning with the 1982-83 school year. In an effort to determine the role of the State Department of Education in assisting the local education agencies in implementing this act, a task…

Various aspects of the current evolution/creationism controversy are reviewed including the impact of attempting to remove evolutionary material from textbooks and including creationist material. A number of viewpoints, opinions, and references from current literature are cited. (DS)

Examines proposition that creationism is legitimate science, including philosophical basis of that claim and methods used to discredit contemporary scientific thought. Discusses creationist's arguments against scientific findings related to second law of thermodynamics, improbability of evolution, earth's age, geological record, fossil transitions…

Focusing on Judge William R. Overton's decision that Arkansas Law 590 (balanced treatment of creationism/evolution) is unconstitutional, explains the legal significance of some of the apparently nonlegal elements of the judge's opinion and discusses features of the strategies employed in the litigation of such issues. (Author/JN)

Discusses salient characteristics of scientific enterprise including laws (natural regularities), explanation and prediction, testability, confirmation, and falsifiability, tentativeness, and professional integrity. Argues that "creation-science" lacks each of these essential characteristics. (JN)

Discusses various legal and scientific issues related to the McLean v. Arkansas 590 (balanced treatment of creationism/evolution), including nature of "creation-science," responses from scientists and lawyers, focus of the plaintiff's case (anticreationism), nature of science, and one example illustrating creationist tendency to use…

Traces origins of present-day creationists from their 19th-century fundamentalist beginnings, focusing on past and current objections to the teaching of evolution and efforts to require the teaching of creationism in public schools. Discusses creationist arguments and strategies to accomplish their aims. (JN)

Describes contributions and efforts of New York law firm (Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, Flom) personnel in developing plaintiff's case in McLean v. Arkansas 590 (balanced treatment of creationism/evolution). Discusses aspects of "Pro Bono Publico" (unpaid public interest service) endeavors in general and those related to this law firm in…