Answers in Science

https://www.facebook.com/groups/985398433559591

It occurred to me that there should be an "Answers in Science" site to counter the slickly presented garbage in Answers in Genesis (AiG) and other creo/ID sites.

Goggle google, and lo and behold, there is a site, http://answersinscience.org

I mailed the editor and he agreed that the site could do with a revamp, so we are looking for members to join this group,

1) to make suggestions for updating the site and to offer material for inclusion, either your own work or links to existing resources,

2) to apply knowledge of web site and page design to give the site an up-to-date look and functionality,

3) to provide knowledge of setting up running and promoting a nonprofit site, and to appeal for funds for professional help as needed,

4) and for those who wish to write for children (a special skill - I know, I'm an ex-teacher), to provide content, as AiG does, designed for children.

You are also requested to spread the word to like-minded friends and groups. 

For background, here is an email exchange I had with Samuel Kounaves, the science editor of Answers in Science.

Watch this space.

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Hello,

I'm a long-time campaigner for science and reason on the internet, particularly in my blog  @ https://barryhisblog.blogspot.com/2025/01/barryhisblog.html, which I am currently getting reorganised, and on multiple Facebook groups that discuss evolution and creationism. I have made a special study of endogenous retroviruses. See https://barryhisblog.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-erv-faq-endogenous-retroviruses.html

It occurred to me that there should be an internet site called "Answers in Science" which would counter Ken Ham's creationist site, Answers in Genesis (AiG) and other creationist and intelligent design sites. Lo and behold, Google came up with your site.

Your site is comprehensive, and looks to be a valuable resource for all of us who undertake to counter the anti-science sites like AiG, and I am recommending it to all like-minded people.

I have a number of suggestions and ideas for you, and I hope that you will consider them.

1) Sites like AiG have a very slick presentation, produced, by the looks of it, by professional-level web designers, be they volunteers or paid workers. I would like to see a site of that quality of presentation and 'feel', on the side of science and on the side of counter-creationism.

2) I would like to see the site open to ideas and contributions for content from people outside of the Tufts science departments, their contributions being subject to review and and necessary correction by an editorial body.

3) I would like to see appeals for donations from the public, to cover the cost of web site maintenance, design and promotion.

4) I would like to see a section designed for children like AiG's, to appeal to young people. Creating engaging content for young people is a specialist skill.

In order to 'nab' the name, I have created a Facebook page, "Answers in Science" @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/985398433559591 through which I intend to publicise your site and on which, people can comment and proffer material for inclusion in the site, be it original content or links to existing useful material.

I shall not be accepting requests to join, nor will I be inviting people, until I hear back from your good selves on my suggestions.

Yours faithfully,

Barry Desborough 15th Jan 2025

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Hi Barry,
 
Very pleased to meet you.
 
I was the original creator of AiS in response to AiG about 25 years ago.  I was joined then by several Tufts faculty, but during the past 10 years Dan Dennett and were the only ones involved. Unfortunately, Dan passed way last April. We had discussed many times updating the site, but never got around to it. During the first 10 years it was an up-to-date site, our URL advertised in many places, including a booklet on evolution that the National Academies of Science published. Between my two research groups at Tufts and Imperial I don’t have much time to work on it, so it looks much the way it did 10 years ago.
 
I really like your suggestions and would be very glad to help update it and make it more competitive to AiG, although that would probably require a dedicated group of people to implement.
 
Best regards,
Sam

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Thank you very much for your reply, Sam. What I aim to do is to open the Facebook group to interested parties (I am pretty well-known in our corner of social media), and perhaps get something going along the lines I described.

May I mention you and say what you have told me in the group?

If you Facebook, I can add you to the group if you wish.

Best regards,

Barry

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So, Sam, I would very much like to help bring answersinscience.org up to date, and to pursue the aims of including more contributors and contributions, re-vamping the design, and appealing for funds.

If you are agreeable, can you allow me to make changes and add material, subject to review by yourselves if you wish?

Please let me know what you think.

Regards,

Barry
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Hi Barry,
 
Sure, you may mention me and what I said about the site on Facebook. I do not really have a very active Facebook page. My main on-line sites are those connected to Tufts and my research (https://chem.tufts.edu/people/faculty/samuel-kounaves ) .
I would love to have more people contribute, update the site, and appeal for funds.
I could give you access, but I’ll have to figure out how to do it. I think part of the site is located on a Tufts server from where it gets redirected to the domain name.
 
Sam

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