Discovery Institute

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[[File:DiscoveryInstitute.png|right|165px|thumb|Logo]]
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:<i>Not to be confused with the unassociated [[Discovery Channel]].</i>
The '''Discovery Institute''' (a.k.a., the Disco-Tute<ref>[https://ncse.ngo/disco-tute-humpty-dumpty The Disco. ‘tute as Humpty Dumpty] (October 18, 2013) ''National Center for Science Education''.</ref><ref>[https://slate.com/technology/2008/07/the-disco-tute-s-lack-of-scope.html The Disco ‘tute’s lack of scope] by Phil Plait (July 09, 20085:20 PM) ''Slate''.</ref>) is a non-profit religious [[Think tank|"think"-tank]] infamous for its attempts to get [[intelligent design]] [[creationism]] taught in [[United States|American]] schools. It has set out many of its goals in the [[Wedge Document]] (1999). Ironically, their headquarters is located in [[liberal]] Seattle, [[Washington]], home state of co-founder {{wpl|Bruce K. Chapman}} {{lived|1940}}.Chapman co-founded the institute with his college roommate, {{wpl|George Gilder}} {{lived|1939}} [[Ironically]], Chapman and Gilder's earliest foray into politics was a critique of [[Barry Goldwater]]'s [[anti-intellectualism]].<ref>''The Party That Lost Its Head'' by George F. Gilder & Bruce K. Chapman (1966) Alfred A. Knopf.</ref> As with all creationist enterprises, the institute is an exercise in anti-intellectualism.<ref>[https://kappanonline.org/anti-intellectualism-anti-evolutionism-science-teachers-hofstadter-branch/ Anti-intellectualism and anti-evolutionism: Lessons from Hofstadter] by Glenn Branch (Mar 26, 2020) ''Kappan''.</ref><ref>''Anti-intellectualism in American Life'' by Richard Hofstadter (1963) Alfred A. Knopf.</ref>

The Discovery Institute is behind the growing number of "[[Academic Freedom Act]]s" being introduced in various state legislatures across the United States with varying degrees of success. These "academic freedom" statutes represent a more sophisticated approach to sneaking creationism into public schools than those advanced by Discovery Institute fellow {{wpl|Wendell Bird}} in the 1980s (before the founding of the Discovery Institute in 1990) by omitting any references to creationism whatsoever. Instead, the Discovery Institute proposed language for a new breed of "Academic Freedom Acts" in 2007.<ref>[https://freescience.today/petition/ Discovery Institute’s Academic Freedom Petition]. {{quotebox|Wherever academic freedom to question [[Darwin]]’s theory is challenged, Discovery Institute may deliver this petition to government or education officials to show the widespread support that exists for full discussion about Darwinian evolution.}}</ref> This proposed model "academic freedom" statute made its way into some bills in various states, such as that in Louisiana (passed in the Senate, died in the House), which would permit teachers "to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories pertinent to the course being taught". As such, the Discovery Institute significantly broadened its program of attempting to permit schools to "[[Teach the Controversy]]", going well beyond the [[Wedge Strategy]] (solely directed to intelligent-design creationism) to other politicized fields of science to which [[right-wingers]] object, such as [[climate change]].

The Discovery Institute attempts to inject intelligent design creationism into secondary education by publishing various creationist textbooks such as ''[[Of Pandas and People]]'' (1989, the subject of the [[Kitzmiller v. Dover]] trial of 2005). ''Pandas'', written in part by Discovery Institute fellows [[William Dembski]] and [[Jonathan Wells]], was re-titled ''The Design of Life: Discovering Signs of Intelligence in Biological Systems'' in 2007 — presumably in an attempt to duck the shame attendant on the original name following the Kitzmiller case. It remains in print, at least as of 2009. The Discovery Institute published ''[[Explore Evolution|Explore Evolution: The Arguments For and Against Neo-Darwinism]]'' in 2007. The DI advertises the book as "the first biology textbook to present the scientific evidence both for and against key aspects of Darwinian evolution".<ref>[http://www.exploreevolution.com/news.php Explore Evolution]- "''Explore Evolution: The Arguments For and Against Neo-Darwinism'' (Hill House Publishers Ltd., Melbourne and London, 2007) is the first biology textbook to present the scientific evidence both for and against key aspects of Darwinian evolution."</ref> In 2018, they also released a [[schlockumentary]] film, "''Human Zoos: America's Forgotten History of Scientific Racism"'', which places the blame for the contemporary [[scientific racism]] of the time on [[Charles Darwin]], and [[evolution]].<ref>David Klinghoffer, [https://www.discovery.org/a/52619/ Human Zoos — How “Science” Fueled the Racial Fire]. Discovery Institute, 1 June 2020.</ref> It was made available on Discovery Science, one of their [[propaganda]] YouTube channels, in 2019.<ref>[https://youtu.be/nY6Zrol5QEk Human Zoos: America's Forgotten History of Scientific Racism]</ref>

==In their own words==
[[Image:Welcome.png|thumb|left|The Discovery Institute's original banner. Yes, the color choices, kerning, and compression really were that bad.]]
The Discovery Institute describes itself as follows:<ref>[http://www.discovery.org/aboutFunctions.php Discovery Institute - About Discovery]</ref>

{{cquote|The point of view Discovery brings to its work includes a belief in God-given reason and the permanency of human nature; the principles of representative democracy and public service expounded by the American Founders; free market economics domestically and internationally; the social requirement to balance personal liberty with responsibility; the spirit of voluntarism crucial to civil society; the continuing validity of American international leadership; and the potential of science and technology to promote an improved future for individuals, families and communities.}}

However, most of the material on their homepage seems to be associated with [[intelligent design]] and [[evolution]]. Furthermore, in their defense of the [[Wedge Document]], they are happy to support the statements:

{{cquote|Discovery Institute's Center ... seeks nothing less than the overthrow of [[materialism]] and its cultural legacies.}}

{{cquote|Discovery Institute's Center ... wants to reverse the stifling dominance of the materialistic worldview, and to replace it with a science consistent with Christian and theistic convictions.}}

==Global warming denial==
In line with [[Crank magnetism|the extreme wingnuttery that accompanies creationism]], the Discovery Institute demonstrated [[Gore's Law]] by endorsing [[Global warming]] [[denialism]].<ref>See [http://www.discovery.org/a/14271 here] and [http://www.discovery.org/a/3672 here] for two such examples.</ref>

==Pissed at us==
In 2012, the Discovery Institute took offense at RationalWiki's article on the [[Santorum Amendment]], particularly the article's statement that the failed amendment promotes the teaching of intelligent design and questions the academic standing of evolution. They claimed that the [[media]] was promoting "falsehoods" and "untruths" about the purpose of the amendment.<ref>Casey Luskin, [https://evolutionnews.org/2012/01/media_promoting/ Media Promoting Misinformation about the Santorum Amendment]. evolutionnews.org, 23 January 2012.</ref>

==People associated with the Discovery Institute==
Bruce Chapman serves as the chairman of Discovery Institute.<ref>[https://www.discovery.org/p/chapman/ Bruce Chapman] biography at the Discovery Institute web site.</ref> Other people associated with the organization include the following:
{{collist|2|
*[[Michael Behe]]
*[[David Berlinski]]
*[[William Dembski]]
*[[Michael Egnor]]
*[[Michael Medved]]
*[[Stephen C. Meyer]]
*[[Rupert Murdoch]]
*[[Wesley J. Smith]]
*[[Richard Weikart]]
*[[Jonathan Wells]]
*[[Benjamin Wiker]]
*Jonathan Witt
}}

==See also==
*[[Academic Freedom Day]]
*[[A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism]]
*[[Biologic Institute]]
*''[[Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed]]''
*[[Geoffrey Simmons]]
*[[Model legislation]]
*[[Uncommon Descent]]

==External links==
*[http://www.discovery.org/csc/ Discovery Institute Homepage]
*[http://www.evolutionnews.org/ Evolution News and Views] Their anti-science [[propaganda]] blog

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

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[[Category:Anti-intellectualism]]
[[Category:Creationist organizations]]
[[Category:Discovery Institute| ]]
[[Category:Intelligent design creationism]]
[[Category:Misnomers]]
[[Category:Pissed at us]]
[[Category:Think tanks]]

Categories: Anti-intellectualism, Creationist organizations, Discovery Institute, Intelligent design creationism, Misnomers, Pissed at us, Think tanks