Intelligent Design and Creationism as Science

Part 1 of a 7-part interview with Eugenie C. Scott: Religion, Science, and Theory. Dr. Scott describes intelligent design as a fundamentally religious explanation that has no scientific basis. She discusses the difference between hypothesis and theory,

John Connolly: Could you explain what we mean when we say theory in the scientific community? Eugenie Scott: That is a question and a problem I run into all the time, because the way scientists use the word theory and the way the general public uses the word theory are really very different, but there is enough of an overlap that you can kind of see where the confusion might come in. If you are just using the word like they use it on the street, theory is a guess or a hunch or something that is fairly unsubstantiated and it’s your theory, and nobody really pays attention to that. The word theory in science is a term of art, and it means a well substantiated explanation of a phenomenon, so when you think about it, what scientists try to do is come up with theories; theories aren’t just these throw away ideas, they are the goal of what science is all about. If you can come up with a theory as a scientist, you can die happy; this is really what it’s all about. Theories are abstract combinations of facts, of laws, of tested hypothesis, of minor theories; they are inferential explanations of natural phenomena, and as such they are the goal of what we do and what science is all about. They are not guesses.

creationism, intelligent design, creation science, henry morris, darwinism, evolution, darwin, Genesis, eugenie, scott, dnalc, cshl

Related Content

16983. Creation Science - Challenging the Theory of Evolution

Part 4 of a 7-part series with Dr. Eugenie C. Scott: Science, Religion, and Evolutionary Theory. Dr. Scott discusses the history of creationism/intelligent design, which was revived in the United States in the 1960s. Some conservative Christians believe

  • ID: 16983
  • Source: DNALC

16984. McLean versus Arkansas Board of Education

Part 5 of a 7-part interview with Dr. Eugenie C. Scott: Creation Science on Trial. Dr. Scott discusses the legal challenge to the Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science Act introduced in Arkansas in 1981. Evidence by creation scie

  • ID: 16984
  • Source: DNALC

16981. Irreducible Complexity and Flagella - Deconstructing ID

Part 2 of a 7-part series with Dr. Eugenie C. Scott.: Debunking Intelligent Design. Dr. Scott criticizes claims by creationists that flagellated bacteria (flagellum) are an example of irreducible complexity. She concludes that examples of irreducible co

  • ID: 16981
  • Source: DNALC

16986. God and Science - Incompatible?

Part 7 of a 7-part series with Dr. Eugenie C. Scott: The Bible, the Flood, and the Grand Canyon. Dr. Scott believes that affirming science and believing in God are compatible. However, claims by creationists that the Grand Canyon was created by a flood

  • ID: 16986
  • Source: DNALC

16985. Keeping God out of the Classroom - Creation Science and Constitution

Part 6 of a 7-part series with Dr. Eugenie C. Scott: Creation Science Brings Religion to the Classroom. Dr. Scott discusses attempts by the creationist movement to introduce religion into high school science curricula. She makes the point that because w

  • ID: 16985
  • Source: DNALC

16982. The Eye and Irreducible Complexity - Creationism Debunked

Part 3 of a 7-part series with Dr. Eugenie C. Scott: Intelligent Design, Irreducible Complexity, and the Eye. Dr. Scott criticizes claims by proponents of creation science that the vertebrate eye is too complex a mechanism to have evolved by natural sel

  • ID: 16982
  • Source: DNALC

16311. Biography 12: Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1892)

Charles Darwin changed the world with his theory of evolution.

  • ID: 16311
  • Source: DNAFTB

16303. Gallery 12: Charles Darwin, ca 1859

Charles Darwin, around 1859.

  • ID: 16303
  • Source: DNAFTB

16306. Gallery 12: Charles Darwin's study (2)

Interior of Darwin's study, showing mantelpiece, corner and Darwin's chair on wheels.

  • ID: 16306
  • Source: DNAFTB

11811. Francis Galton and Presidents of International Eugenics Congresses: Major L. Darwin, H. F. Osborn, C.B. Davenport, Eugenical News (vol. 17)

Francis Galton and Presidents of International Eugenics Congresses: Major L. Darwin, H. F. Osborn, C.B. Davenport, Eugenical News (vol. 17)

  • ID: 11811
  • Source: EA