The Top 10 Myths about Evolution

by SMITH, CAMERON M.SULLIVAN, CHARLES

• ISBN13: 9781591024798
• ISBN10: 159102479X
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2006-11-01
• Publisher: Prometheus Books

Summary

Though the United States is the world leader in science and technology, many of its citizens display a shocking ignorance regarding basic scientific facts. Recent surveys have revealed that only about half of Americans realise that humans have never lived side by side with dinosaurs, and about the same number reject the idea that humans developed from earlier species of animals. This lack of knowledge in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence for evolution springs from a number of negative influences in contemporary society: poor secondary education in some regions of the country, misinformation in the mass media, and deliberate obfuscation by supporters of Creationism and Intelligent Design. In this concise, accessible, "myth-buster's handbook", educators Cameron M. Smith and Charles Sullivan clearly dispel the ten most common myths about evolution, which continue to mislead average Americans. Using a refreshing, jargon-free style, they set the record straight on claims that evolution is "just a theory", that Darwinian explanations of life undercut morality, that Intelligent Design is a legitimate alternative to conventional science, that humans come from chimpanzees, and six other popular but erroneous notions. Smith and Sullivan's reader-friendly, solidly researched text will serve as an important tool, both for teachers and laypersons seeking accurate information about evolution.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	7	(2)
Introduction	9	(4)
Myth One Survival of the Fittest	13	(12)
Myth Two It's Just a Theory	25	(18)
Myth Three The Ladder of Progress	43	(16)
Myth Four The Missing Link	59	(16)
Myth Five Evolution Is Random	75	(12)
Myth Six People Come from Monkeys	87	(20)
Myth Seven Nature's Perfect Balance	107	(16)
Myth Eight Creationism Disproves Evolution	123	(12)
Myth Nine Intelligent Design Is Science	135	(16)
Myth Ten Evolution Is Immoral	151	(16)
Afterword	167	(2)
Bibliography	169	(14)
Index	183