Editor's Summary
28 April 2005
Is intelligent design coming to your campus?
Is the cover 'sticker' a taste of the future? Few scientists have any time for the concept of intelligent design. Its thesis is that scientific knowledge cannot explain the natural world fully, and never will. Biological systems are too complex, gaps in the fossil record too large and interspecies differences too great to be explained by natural selection alone. Based on those perceptions, proponents of intelligent design argue that an intelligent creator must be directing life on Earth. OK as theology, but not as science. Yet intelligent design is catching on among students on US university campuses, and some academics offer courses on the subject. Is the presence of intelligent design in universities legitimizing the movement? And what should scientists do about it? Geoff Brumfiel reports from the ideological front line.
Editorial: Dealing with design
The idea of intelligent design is being promoted in schools and universities in the United States and Europe. Rather than ignoring it, scientists need to understand its appeal and help students recognize the alternatives.
doi: 10.1038/4341053a
News Feature: Intelligent design: Who has designs on your students' minds?
The intelligent-design movement is a small but growing force on US university campuses. For some it bridges the gap between science and faith, for others it goes beyond the pale. Geoff Brumfiel meets the movement's vanguard.
doi: 10.1038/4341062a
