Evolution Revolution

Both PZ and Mark sent me this, so I guess I ought to post it.

In an evenly split vote, the State Board of Education on Thursday upheld teaching evolution as accepted mainstream science.

But social conservatives on the board, using a series of amendments tailored to particular school subjects, succeeded in requiring teachers to evaluate critically a variety of scientific principles like cell formation and the Big Bang.

Since Texas remains the largest single purchaser of textbooks in bulk, this is an influential decision in terms of how language is used in science texts. My feeling is that Texas is becoming less relevant over time, and that the current economic situation precludes printing up special Texas editions or buying textbooks on a short, three-year turnover schedule. We'll see.

Tweet