Cheryl Shepard Adams at Stand Up for REAL Science blogs an amusing set of distinguishing attributes of surreptitious pseudo-scientists, the anti-evolutionists: 

Briefly, here are some identifying characteristics of Anti-evolutionistii stealthus:

1.Distinctive vocalizations, including calls for:
a. Local control
b. Teaching more about evolution, not less, or push to augment/modify the state curriculum; critical analysis/developing critical thinking skills
c. Academic Freedom/Academic Bill of Rights for K12 students/teachers
d. Treating "origins science" differently than other science topics
2. Social behavior: are Young-Earth Creationists, or will not give an opinion as to the age of the earth
3. Camouflage: They try to hide or downplay their association with anti-evolution groups
4. Avoidance behavior: Some will avoid public forums or press interviews.

However frustrating it may be to grapple with these arguments, you have to admit they're cunningly framed.

more after the jump...

Before sending you off on a long weekend of BBQs, parades, and fireworks, how about a quick stroll around the internets?

• An academic freedom controversy is brewing north of the border where a sociologist is being barred from observing assisted suicides in Canada.  Physician-assisted suicide is illegal in Canada, but the researcher had received clearance from his institution's IRB to conduct the research.  The institution is preventing him from conducting the research.  (BTW - a belated Happy Canada Day to our Canadian friends!)
• The New York Times has a report out on the generational changes that are washing over the academy.  While some would like to focus on the (still largely irrelevant) changes in faculty political views, I found more interesting the fluid and recursive relationships that exist between different generations of faculty, the changing institutions for which they work, and the institutional context within which they work.
• Because what you really need is more bookmarks for your web browser - check out this list of the top 100 liberal arts professor blogs.  You're guaranteed to find something there to keep you from finishing that conference paper or getting ahead on class preparation!

Last week, Governor Bobby Jindal signed the Louisiana Science Education Act into law.  The law will allow science teachers (with local school board approval) to introduce "supplemental" course materials into K-12 science classrooms.  Proponents of this legislation have argued that given the length of the textbook approval process, outmoded scientific theories are being taught and that the supplemental materials are a necessary corrective to ensure that students are learning the most up-to-date information available.  However, with language that allows for "critiques" of evolution, global warming, and human cloning (the last of which isn't really a scientific theory so much as a technique) - language which ignores the fact that critiques of these theories (and technique) are an ongoing part of the scientific discourse - critics are rightfully worried that this opens yet another door to try to introduce pseudo-scientific lessons on "intelligent design," as well as the door for more Dover-like lawsuits.

Kevin McGill of the Associated Press has a tongue-in-cheek round-up of the legislation's history in Louisiana, and the gang a the Panda's Thumb looks at the legal implications of the bill.

According to a report just released [.pdf] by The Imagining America Tenure Team Initiative (h/t IHE), scholars are more and more willing to engage the public in the creation of knowledge and art, but the system by which promotions and tenure are granted have failed to keep up with this trend, making public engagement by young scholars risky for their future career prospects.  The reports executive summary made these recommendations:

1. Define public scholarly and creative work.
2. Develop policy based on a continuum of scholarship.
3. Recognize the excellence of work that connects domains of knowledge.
4. Expand what counts.
5. Document what counts.
6. Present what counts: use portfolios.
7. Expand who counts: Broaden the community of peer review.
8. Support publicly engaged graduate students and junior faculty.
9. Build in flexibility at the point of hire.
10. Promote public scholars to full professor.
11. Organize the department for policy change.
12. Take this report home and use it to start something. 

It's an interesting and thought-provoking report, so take the time to check it out.