University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
Phone: (519) 888-4567 ext 32215
Fax: (519) 746-8115
Darwinian evolution gained widespread support in the scientific community within a few years after the publication of the Origin of Species in 1859. Since that time, a vast quantity of empirical data has emerged in its support, and none have refuted it. In recent years however, ‘Intelligent Design Theory’, promoted by the Discovery Institute and Center for Cultural Renewal in Seattle WA, has been proposed as an alternative “scientific theory” to explain biological origins and complexity, and it even garnered support within some U.S. high school boards. In this seminar, I review important scientific principles in the context of a recent court case in the U.S.: Kitzmiller et al. vs. The Dover Pennsylvania District School board. Within this framework, I show that Intelligent Design Theory lacks all of the fundamental requirements of a scientific theory, and has been deliberately constructed to mislead the general public with respect to what constitutes science, and by stealth, introduce religion into high school science classesand more.
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Office of Indigenous Relations.