Just for fun: Checking in with Project Steve

In 2001, a creationist group called the Discovery Institute issued a statement called 'Scientific Dissent from Darwinism'.  It included a purported list of scientists who don't accept common descent as the explanation for the diversity of life on Earth.  On closer scrutiny, most of the signatories later denied having that view, and those that did were not biologists, with very few exceptions.  Nonetheless, this list and others like it have have been circulated as evidence against evolution.


In a counter move, the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) produced its own list of scientists who do support evolution.  However, their list was made of entirely of people with the first name Steve (or a derivation thereof), which they estimate make up about 1% of scientists. Within a month, they had over 200 signatories.  


As of last month, NCSE had almost 1200 Steves on its list.  You can see the Steve-O-Meter on their website.  If you're a scientist named Steve and you'd like to be an NCSE Steve, you can contact the NCSE to be added to their list.





By the way, the NCSE has recently begun to also defend the teaching of  global warming in U. S. classrooms.  They say they don't plan to start a new Project Steve for it, but I hope they do come up with something as funny and catchy.