Truth in Science is a

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

-based creationist organisation which promotes the

Discovery Institute The Discovery Institute (DI) is a conservatism in the United States, politically conservative think tank that advocates the pseudoscience, pseudoscientific concept Article available froUniversiteit Gent of intelligent design (ID). It was fou ...

's " Teach the Controversy" campaign, which it uses to try to get the

pseudoscientific Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...

concept of

intelligent design Intelligent design (ID) is a pseudoscientific argument for the existence of God, presented by its proponents as "an evidence-based scientific theory about life's origins".#Numbers 2006, Numbers 2006, p. 373; " Dcaptured headlines for it ...

creationism taught alongside

evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...

in school science lessons. The organisation claims that there is scientific controversy about the validity of

Darwinian ''Darwinism'' is a term used to describe a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others. The theory states that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural sele ...

evolution, a view rejected by the United Kingdom's

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

and over 50 Academies of Science around the world. The group is affiliated with the

, the hub of the

intelligent design movement The intelligent design movement is a neo-creationist religious campaign for broad social, academic and political change to promote and support the pseudoscientific Article available froUniversiteit Gent/ref> idea of intelligent design (ID), which ...

, following its strategy and circulating the institute's promotional materials. It should not be confused with a United States organisation, The Center for Truth in Science, which was founded in 2020 to dispute various legal/scientific issues which had been flooding the nation's judicial system, such as talc-based powders blamed for causing cancer, Roundup herbicide causing health effects, and various plastic products impacting the environment.

Organisation

According to their website, the organisation has three subordinate groups, whose roster (as of February 2022) consisted of:

Board of directors

* Stephen A. Hyde (Chairman) * Professor Andy McIntosh, Professor of Thermodynamics at the

University of Leeds The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science. In 1884, it merged with the Leeds School of Medicine (established 1831) and was renamed Y ...

, a Christian and creationist. * Phillip Metcalfe (Vice Chairman), a Christian publisher. * John Perfect, a teacher. * Maurice Roberts, Minister of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) and former teacher of classics. * Steve Taylor, Professor of Electromagnetics and Physical Electronics

Council of Reference

* Stuart Burgess, Professor of Engineering Design at

Bristol University The University of Bristol is a public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Bristol, which had ...

, has a Diploma in Theology from the London Reformed Baptist Seminary (of the

Metropolitan Tabernacle The Metropolitan Tabernacle is a Reformed Baptist, Reformed Independent Baptist, Independent Baptist Church in the Elephant and Castle area in London. It was the largest Nonconformist (Protestantism), non-conformist church of its day in 1861. ...

), and is a creationist. * George Curry, Minister of Elswick Parish Church (St Stephen and St Paul), Newcastle upon Tyne. * Dr Russell Healey, teacher of mathematics. * Derek Linkens, Professor and Dean Emeritus, Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield. * John MacArthur, Pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California * Albert N. Martin, Pastor Of Trinity Baptist Church, in Montville, New Jersey

Scientific Panel

* Geoff Barnard * Nick Cowan, retired chemistry teacher. * Paul Garner, lecturer and researcher with Biblical Creation Ministries. * Tim Wells, Senior Lecturer in

Neuroendocrinology Neuroendocrinology is the branch of biology (specifically of physiology) which studies the interaction between the nervous system and the endocrine system; i.e. how the brain regulates the hormonal activity in the body. The nervous and endocrine ...

Cardiff University Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

Critics

The majority of scientists do not consider the conclusions of intelligent design to be scientific. The National Science Teachers Association and others have termed intelligent design a

pseudoscience Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...

, and some have termed it

junk science Junk science is spurious or fraudulent scientific data, research, or analysis. The concept is often invoked in political and legal contexts where facts and scientific results have a great amount of weight in making a determination. It usually con ...

. Little

scientific evidence Scientific evidence is evidence that serves to either support or counter a scientific theory or hypothesis, although scientists also use evidence in other ways, such as when applying theories to practical problems. "Discussions about empirical ev ...

in support of the intelligent design hypothesis has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and intelligent design has never produced a single scientifically testable theory. Ruling, Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District 4: whether ID is science

Information pack

In September 2006, Truth in Science sent resource packs on intelligent design to the heads of science of all United Kingdom secondary schools. According to

New Scientist ''New Scientist'' is a popular science magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organ ...

, 59 schools around the United Kingdom used, or planned to use the Truth in Science information packs. The New Scientist article stated that Truth in Science circulated the material with the intention of countering the teaching of evolution in science classes, and that the information packs "promote the notion that life on Earth was created through intelligent design, a

euphemism A euphemism ( ) is when an expression that could offend or imply something unpleasant is replaced with one that is agreeable or inoffensive. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the u ...

for the biblical story of creation". The BBC News website reported the reaction to the information packs from the United Kingdom Department for Education and Skills: "Neither creationism nor intelligent design are taught as a subject in schools, and are not specified in the science curriculum. The national curriculum for science clearly sets down that pupils should be taught that the fossil record is evidence for

, and how variation and selection may lead to evolution or extinction." -- ''DfES Spokesperson, BBC News''. Speaking in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

, on 1 November 2006, The Right Hon. Jim Knight, Labour MP for Dorset South, and Minister of State at the Department for Education and Skills, the Minister for Schools, criticised Truth In Science, their information packs, and intelligent design creationism, citing them as unsuitable for the United Kingdom science curriculum. In answer to a question regarding what the Secretary of State for Education and Skills would do in response to the information packs, Knight said:

Criticism

Religious

In December 2006, Colin Slee, the Dean of Southwark, said: "Everything needs to be explored, so that children can ask sensible questions. Though I see no huge difficulty with exploring intelligent design or creationism or flat Earth, they happen to be misguided, foolish and flying in the face of all evidence. I see no problem with Darwinian theory and Christian faith going hand in hand", -- ''Colin Slee, Dean of Southwark, The Times, December 2006''.
Ekklesia
a United Kingdom theological think-tank accused Truth in Science and the advocates of intelligent design of misrepresenting the bible, and that creationism and intelligent design are not on par with accepted scientific theories. According to one Ekklesia contributor, Geologist and Anglican vicar Michael Roberts, the material on the Truth in Science website is carefully packaged to hide its young Earth creationist roots. Simon Barrow, Ekklesia's co-director, outlined his critique of intelligent design creationism, and pseudo-scientific explanations for the universe: "Creationism and ID are in no way comparable to scientific theories of origins and have no place in the modern science classroom. They also distort mature Christian understandings of the universe as coming into being through the whole world process, not through reversals or denials of that process. The roots of creationism, whether in its ‘hard’ form, or in attenuated ID ideas, lie not in science but in misinterpretations of the Bible. Claims that such notions can be justified from a ‘literal’ reading of Genesis are nonsensensical. This book has not one, but two ‘creation stories’. They differ widely in detail, are highly figurative, and were written to combat fatalistic Ancient Near East cosmogonies by stressing the underlying goodness of the world as a gift of God, not to comment on modern scientific matters" -- ''Ekklesia, 25 September 2006.''

Secular

In response to the introduction of intelligent design to European schools, the

stated that "intelligent design has far more in common with a religious belief in creationism than it has with science" and raised concerns that "young people are poorly served by deliberate attempts to withhold, distort or misrepresent scientific knowledge and understanding in order to promote particular religious beliefs". In a Guardian newspaper article, dated 27 November 2006, Professor

Lewis Wolpert Lewis Wolpert (19 October 1929 – 28 January 2021) was a South African-born British developmental biologist, author, and broadcaster. Wolpert popularized his French flag model of embryonic development, using the colours of the French flag ...

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

, attacked intelligent design, and the ambitions of Truth in Science: "There is just no evidence for intelligent design, it is pure religion and has nothing to do with science. It should be banned from science classes". In October 2006, a science organisation called ''Science, Just Science'' reviewed the DVD information packs sent by Truth in Science to the heads of science at all United Kingdom secondary schools in September 2006. The UK pro-science advocacy group British Centre for Science Education has condemned attempts to introduce the teaching of creationism at British schools. BCSE protested when ''Truth in Science'' sent information packs to every UK secondary school in September 2006. In a letter to the editor, published in

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

, Ian Lowe of BCSE, expressed concern that creationism could possibly flourish even in Britain, while Mike Brass, chairman of BCSE, said in a letter to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', "

(ID) is creationism dressed up in a tux to sneak into our science classrooms." On 11 October 2006, a reader, Chris Preedy, wrote a letter to ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' newspaper highlighting "scientific errors" on the Truth in Science website, including that the organisation denies the evolution of bacterial flagellum.Questions for Creationists - The Times - Letters to the Editor.
/ref> In response, Richard Buggs, then of the Truth in Science scientific panel published a letter in ''The Times'' stating:

References

External links

official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Truth In Science Conservative political advocacy groups in the United Kingdom Intelligent design movement Intelligent design organizations