"Dodos" debate evolution

A leading group of scientists says "antievolutionism" remains active in part because academics are seen as "lost in a pampered world of irrelevancies, unwilling or unable to come out of the ivory tower."

Randy Olson has left the tower behind. A Harvard-trained evolutionary biologist, Olson left academia for Hollywood. He's made a documentary, "Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus," not to take on intelligent design — which he clearly thinks is a ridiculous theory — but to prod scientists to find a way to talk about evolution that doesn't make them sound like "arrogant jerks." His tack is to make a movie featuring cartoons of dodo birds, his lovably kooky mother, Muffy "Moose" Olson, and long scenes of scientists playing poker.

The dodos are his fellow critics of intelligent design.

"They really are just baffled by communication," Olson said this week. "Some people have said evolutionists should never get up on stage and debate a creationist because you will never convince a creationist. But it's not about creationists. It is a chance for the people in the audience in the middle to hear an argument they like."

Here's how one scientist in the film expressed the need for engaging with supporters of creationism or intelligent design: "I think people have to stand up and say, 'You know, you're an idiot.' "

Not a real conversation starter. I know a lot of academic critics of intelligent design don't want to debate because they told me so after I wrote about it earlier this year.

The scientists' group, the Society for the Study of Evolution, declares intelligent design can never be considered science, and says the public debate has created an "antagonism towards evolution." That, the group says, can hurt the development of public policy, promotes distrust of scientists, reduces funding for research and "undermines science education at all levels."

Olson's movie has been well reviewed and is being seen on the film-festival circuit. But people on both sides of the debate are unhappy.

One blogging professor said Olson wants scientists to "dumb down their message so it can compete with pre-digested ID pabulum."

On the other side, Discovery Institute president Bruce Chapman said the movie includes "innuendoes and falsehoods" about Discovery, including a wildly exaggerated budget for its intelligent-design work and "demonstrably false statements about the science issues."

Olson said he thinks Discovery is winning the PR war. He recently visited friends in his home state of Kansas who said of the big intelligent-design/evolution debate, "We're for both. We think evolution is great, but we also firmly believe there is a designer and there is a hand of God up there controlling things."

Added Olson: "I think the deck is stacked a little against the evolutionists."

David Postman is The Seattle Times' chief political reporter. His column appears Fridays.

Reach him at 360-236-8267 or at dpostman@seattletimes.com