This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
This Thursday, Feb. 12, is Darwin Day, commemorating the birth of British naturalist Charles Darwin, the Guy Who Figured It All Out.
As good a time as any to note that the Utah State School Board is stuck on its plan to adopt new science standards for public schools because, of course, some folks are still hung up on this evolution thing. And climate change.
— Utah is not exempt from science — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial
"Utah is an exceptional place. Beautiful scenery. Industrious people. Fascinating history.
"But, no matter how much some might wish it otherwise, the gravitational constant of the universe applies here. So do all the other laws of physics, chemistry and biology. There is no Utah way for objects to fall, for heat to be transferred, for cells to divide.
"E still equals mc-squared. Even in Utah County.
"Which is why is it absurd, and more than a little embarrassing, that a committee of the Utah State School board is waffling on adopting a new set of science standards for the state's public schools, in part because some folks think that the standards are somehow not Utahish enough. ..."
— New Utah science standards put on hold, concerns include evolution and global warming — Benjamin Wood | The Salt Lake Tribune
— Trib Talk: Teaching science in Utah — Jennifer Napier-Pearce | The Salt Lake Tribune
— Utah Puts Science Standards On Hold, Demands More Local Control Of Reality — Doktor Zoom | Wonkette
" ... Like recent kerfuffles over science education standards in Wyoming and West Virginia, the Utah standards are coming under attack from conservatives who insist the multi-state model they're based on, the Next Generation Science Standards, are tainted by liberal bias when it comes to climate science, which would be bad for those states' coal industries. ..."
— Wyoming blocks new science standards — Leah Todd | Casper Star-Tribune | 3/14/14
"One of lawmakers' big concerns with the Next Generation Science Standards is an expectation that students will understand humans have significantly altered the Earth's biosphere. In other words, the standards say global warming is real.
"That's a problem for some Wyoming lawmakers. ..."
— About Charles Darwin's Great Discovery — International Darwin Day
— Darwin Day resolution in Arizona — National Center for Science Education
— Delaware Governor Announces 'Charles Darwin Day' — Huffington Post