One of the more controversial debates of the moment is the challenge of Intelligent Design proponents to followers of Darwinian evolution. The ID cause has been gaining momentum in the U.S., largely on the back of support from conservative and Christian groups (hence its reputation as the ‘new creationism’). For those wanting more background on the arguments, check out this 2002 feature from Natural History magazine, now available on the web at the Action Bioscience website:
Three proponents of Intelligent Design (ID) present their views of design in the natural world. Each view is immediately followed by a response from a proponent of evolution (EVO). The report, printed in its entirety, opens with an introduction by Natural History magazine and concludes with an overview of the ID movement.
More information is available from Wikipedia – check out their Intelligent Design entry. Seems a shame for the debate to descend into politics and religion, as there are certainly good questions to be asked of natural selection as the only mechanism of evolution – and I’m certainly not a creationist.
