The author of the second paper showed up and replied here.
Pharyngula has linked to a much better article than the three New York Times articles. It can be found here. It also discusss Intelligent Design. To me this:
But legislation to require that creationism be taught as a counterpoint to evolution is being discussed in Colorado and across the country. And if history is any guide, we all should be very afraid of politicians legislating science education.
Mitton recalled an Indiana legislator's attempt in 1897 to require that schools simplify pi (the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter) from the clumsy but accurate 3.141592... to 3.2.
If this had been enforced and the products of Indiana schools tried to apply it, he said, "bridges would fall down, structures couldn't be built," engineering would be impossible.
It's simple: Without pi, there is no mathematics.
And without the teaching of evolution, biology doesn't have a prayer.
Was the best quote in the article. The best thing about it was that there is none of the he said/she said style of journalism. The article educated and informed people about an important issue making news - and did not pull any punches.
