Creation Controversy

In its April 29, 1991, issue [page 12], The Scientist has published eight letters of comment on the debate between Forrest Mims and Arthur Caplan, which was featured in the Opinion section of the Feb. 18, 1991, issue of The Scientist [page 11]. Missing from these letters and from the debate is a description of creation "science," which, contradicting evolution, is the view that represents the standpoint of creationists. Creationists allege that creation ex nihilo took place 8,000 to 10,000 yea

| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

Creationists allege that creation ex nihilo took place 8,000 to 10,000 years ago and that the Book of Genesis supplies a scientific description of what followed. Mims tells us that he collects fossils. According to creationists, fossils are bones of animals that drowned in the Great Flood, with the best swimmers on top. Does Mims agree?

How could he write about dinosaurs if he has the creationist belief that they coexist with humans, and that Noah took dinosaurs on the Ark? Does he support the incessant creationist campaigns against teaching evolution? Is it possible that he might not feel at home as a member of the staff of Scientific American?

THOMAS H. JUKES
Space Sciences Laboratory
University of California
Berkeley, Calif.

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Thomas Jukes

    This person does not yet have a bio.

Published In

Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

sartorius logo
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo

Products

Photo of a researcher overseeing large scale production processes in a laboratory.

Scaling Lentiviral Vector Manufacturing for Optimal Productivity

Thermo Fisher Logo
Collage-style urban graphic of wastewater surveillance and treatment

Putting Pathogens to the Test with Wastewater Surveillance

An illustration of an mRNA molecule in front of a multicolored background.

Generating High-Quality mRNA for In Vivo Delivery with lipid nanoparticles

Thermo Fisher Logo
Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide