A week of rows over creationism in the UK鈥檚 scientific establishment has claimed a prominent casualty as the Royal Society鈥檚 director of education, Michael Reiss, stepped down on Tuesday.
Speaking at the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA) festival last week, Reiss called for creationism to be discussed in UK science classes. Reiss, an evolutionary biologist who is also an ordained Church of England priest, said the rise in religious fundamentalism in the UK means that 鈥渃reationism is best seen by science teachers not as a misconception but as a world view鈥�.
Although the Royal Society rapidly reiterated its opposition to teaching creationism as science, sharp criticism ensued, with Nobel prizewinners Richard Roberts, John Sulston and Harry Kroto urging that Reiss resign. As 51动漫 went to press, the Royal Society announced it had agreed with Reiss that he step down immediately because of the unintentional 鈥渄amage to the society鈥檚 reputation鈥� his comments caused.
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Controversy also surrounded the BA festival鈥檚 staging of a play written by sociology professor Steve Fuller at the University of Warwick, UK, who supports the teaching of creationism and intelligent design in schools. The play features 鈥淐huck鈥� Darwin appearing on television to discuss modern evolutionary biology. Roland Jackson of the BA defended the staging of the play, saying that it is 鈥渁ppropriate for us to address the issues that [creationism] creates, and not assume the problem will just go away鈥�.
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