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While the Hall of Science contingent is chiming in...I think Bill's 
post overstated the case here.   Most of the posts on this and related 
threads have expressed an openness to religious experience.  The 
problem is when the religious explanation and the scientific 
explanation are brought to bear on the same phenomenon.  Bill, how do 
we deal with the very significant number of people who think that the 
earth was created 6000 years ago?  Is it responsible for us to say 
"well, that is one perspective and you are entitled to it?"  That is 
what we are struggling with here.

While this particular divergence between religious and scientific 
worldviews is focused upon evolution, there is a challenge to the 
scientific worldview on many topics, from genetics to climate change to 
extraterrestrial life.  Many of us have programs on these and related 
topics, and we feel the same responsibility to present the scientific 
perspective on all of these topics.  While people are absolutely 
entitled to believe that aliens have landed on earth, it remains our 
responsibility to present what science knows about life beyond earth.  
Why would we change our approach with evolution?

Eric Siegel
Executive VP
    Programs and Planning
NY Hall of Science
47-01 111th Street
Queens, NY 11368
www.nyscience.org
On Mar 24, 2005, at 5:10 PM, Rita Mukherjee Hoffstadt wrote:

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