Avoiding the Word "Evolution"

jakosc tips us to a disturbing article in PloS Biology on the avoidance of the word "Evolution" in scientific papers and grants. From the paper: "In spite of the importance of antimicrobial resistance, we show that the actual word 'evolution' is rarely used in the papers describing this research. Instead, antimicrobial resistance is said to 'emerge,' 'arise,' or 'spread' rather than 'evolve.' Moreover, we show that the failure to use the word 'evolution' by the scientific community may have a direct impact on the public perception of the importance of evolutionary biology in our everyday lives... It has been repeatedly rumored (and reiterated by one of the reviewers of this article) that both the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation have in the past actively discouraged the use of the word 'evolution' in titles or abstracts of proposals so as to avoid controversy."

Comments

Sorry Skinflute.. We are a Democracy.

[TheCeltic]

Sorry to dissapoint... We are a Democracy here in the States and therefore, the majority decides things like what get's printed on our money. America is NOT a country of athiests. Just ask the 90+% that beleive in God. Should everyone else have their freedoms held back because it bothers you? NO. When the founders of this nation came here, they wanted a nation that ensured religious freedom, NOT NON-RELEGION. In other words, the "separation of church and state" is meant to keep the State out of the Church, NOT the opposite as many athiests would like us to beleive.

climate change / global warming ..

[rs232]

Similar to how no one in the media can say global warming. They have to use climate change instead.