West Virginians for Science & Reason

West Virginians for Science & Reason (WVSR) is an informal assembly of critical thinkers opposing pseudoscience and nonsense in the Mountain State.

EVOLUTION

The theory of evolution is a fundamental, unifying theme in the sciences. Astronomical, biological, and geological evidence supporting the theory is robust and widely accepted. While details regarding the exact mechanisms are still being debated by scientists, there is no denying that gene frequencies in populations change over time in response to natural selection. In December 2005, a US District Court Judge in Pennsylvania ruled that Intelligent Design (ID) is “not science” but “creationism in disguise” and that teaching it in the public school classroom is a violation of the US Constitution. As a legal strategy, ID is on the ropes, but it’s not down for the count. Antievolution laws are still pending in several states.

For more information on evolution and science education, go to the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Position Statement on the Teaching of Evolution, and the WVSR Position Statement on the Teaching of Evolution and Intelligent Design.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Like evolution, the concept of global climate change is controversial. While the jury may still be out on the degree to which humans can influence the oscillations of Earth’s climate, the fact that the global temperature has increased significantly since the turn of the 20th century (especially over the last 30 years) is not really up for debate. The impact that climate change can have on public health is rarely reported by the mainstream media. Climate change leads to extreme weather, which can create insect breeding sites, contaminate clean water supplies, and destabilize predator/prey interactions. All these factors can promote the emergence of infectious diseases.

For more information on the impact of global climate change, visit the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

In the U.S., herbal and other dietary supplements are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as foods. This means that they do not have to meet the same standards as prescription or over-the-counter medications for proof of safety or effectiveness. These supplements are often purported to improve memory, boost the immune system, or stimulate weight loss. While some treatments may prove to be effective, others will have no significant effect, and some may have severe side effects. The National Institutes of Health only recently began funding research involving complementary and alternative medicine. The public should be made aware of the lack of evidence supporting the efficacy of alternative treatments.

For more information on alternative medical treatments, visit the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF), and Quackwatch.

Misconceptions regarding evolution, global warming, and alternative medicine could be reduced dramatically if more Americans were trained to think critically. Important decisions involving education, the environment, and health care should be based on peer-reviewed, quantitative data. Unfortunately, our citizens are more likely to respond quickly and emotionally to issues that appear to conflict with their personal world views, and they tend to give credence to anecdotal testimonials rather than statistically significant experimental results.

While West Virginia has yet to face the evolution/intelligent design conflict in court, we must prepare for it. We must also deal with a host of other controversial issues, including the environmental impact of mountaintop removal, the epidemic of obesity plaguing our state, and questionable health care practices like chiropractic and “therapeutic touch.”

For more skeptical news and commentary, visit the WVSR Online Newsletter. For more information on the mission of WVSR, contact:

Shawn K. Stover, Ph.D.

Dept. of Biology & Environmental Science

Davis & Elkins College

100 Campus Drive

Elkins, WV 26241

stovers@davisandelkins.edu

(304) 637-1275