Science, one of the top--many would argue
the top--science journals in the world, had
this to say about the Archive:
"[Scott] Chase warns of "phony" science FAQs from "wackos
peddling their personal opinion." One place to find the
real thing is this site that mirrors an MIT
archive of FAQs. They run the gamut from the ozone
layer to dodo extinctions and www.talkorigins.org, which debunks creationist
arguments."
The renowned periodical Scientific American had
this to say about the Archive in its July 2002 issue:
"Talk.Origins archive (www.talkorigins.org). This wonderfully
thorough online resource compiles useful essays and
commentaries that have appeared in Usenet discussions about
creationism and evolution. It offers detailed discussions
(some of which may be too sophisticated for casual readers)
and bibliographies relating to virtually any objection to
evolution that creationists might raise."
A major newspaper of the American Southwest, the Dallas Morning News,
made the Archive its
Web Site of the Week on October 7, 2006:
This long-running site argues against creationism and other literal
interpretations of Scripture. The scientific resources are exhaustive and easily
searchable, and cover topics such as Earth's age, flood geology and catastrophes.
The FAQs - a good starting place for new readers - provide brief answers and
relevant links to complex questions. The site stresses mainstream science and
doesn't post any articles supporting creationism, though there is a lengthy
list of anti-evolution links. Feedback from the past decade is available,
much of it questioning and challenging the site's content.
The world's largest general scientific society and
publisher of the illustrious journal Science, the
American
Association for the Advancement of Science recommends
the Talk.Origins Archive on its page of
Evolution Resources as one of a few on-line "scientific
resources [that] provide accessible presentations of
contemporary evolutionary theory as well as scientific
responses to so-called criticisms of the theory."
The official website for the Smithsonian
Institution Human Origins Program recommends the
Talk.Origins Archive on their links
page as having "quality content that can help you in
further pursuing your interests in paleoanthropology and
related disciplines ... A great site for the interested
student."
"Talk.origins Archives.
http://www.talkoriggins.org [sic]. Best online
source for overviews of evidence for evolution and analyses
of creationist claims recarding science and evidence.
Includes M. Isaak's "What is
Creationism" (2000), with its links to sites advocating
most of the full range of American creationist positions,
both Christian and non-Christian, and an introduction to
creation myths generally."
The Geological Society of America states on this
page that:
"The Talk.Origins Archive site offers an
amazing amount of information in the form of full-text
articles and commentary on the theory of evolution,
creationism, the age of Earth, flood geology,
catastrophism, and debating creationists. Many of the
articles include critiques of creationist arguments. This
site also contains links to other useful Web
sites."
"Talk Origins http://www.talkorigins.org/
An excellent Usenet group regarding biological and
physical origins. The site includes a chat room, an archive
of previous discussions, and a vast collection of related
links."
Astronomer Philip Plait wrote in his book Bad
Astronomy, which deals with myths and
misconceptions about astronomy and space related topics,
in the recommended reading section on
page 261:
I highly recommend the Talk Origins Archive (http://www.talkorigins.org), which is a
pro-science web site that is mostly an answer to
creationist arguments. It leans heavily toward evolution,
but has great astronomy pages,
too.
Hominid trail. Part of a site that counters
creationist claims, Fossil Hominids reviews the evidence on
questions such as whether Peking Man was an ape and the
significance of human brain size. The wealth of information
here includes background on key fossils, drawings and
photos, scientists' biographies, references, and lots of
paleoanthropology links. www.talkorigins.org/faqs/fossil-hominids.html
The human family tree keeps sprouting branches as anthropologists unearth
new fossils or reclassify existing ones. Whether you're looking for an
introduction to human origins or want to catch up on the latest developments,
visit Fossil Hominids: The Evidence for Human Evolution, a well-written overview
created by enthusiast Jim Foley.
The human evolutionary story swarms with almost as many characters as a Dickens
novel, so Foley supplies a brief guide to our close relatives....
The jam-packed site also features
a timeline of recent fossil finds, synopses of new papers, and guest essays
by researchers. Another section debunks a litany of creationist
misconceptions and misrepresentations about human origins, such
as the notion that Neandertals were merely modern humans warped by
disease....
In the May 2003 issue of
The American Biology Teacher
biologist David L. Alles and anthropologist
Joan Stevenson of Western Washington University have
an article called "Teaching Human Evolution" on pages
333-339. In the article, they recommend the Fossil Hominids
section as one of their recommended "up-to-date resources for classroom
teachers to use in teaching the subject."
The April 2004 issue had another endorsement of Fossil Hominids.
In an article called "Interpreting Evidence: An Approach
to Teaching Human Evolution in the Classroom" on pages
257-267,
Jeremy DeSilva, an educator at the Boston Museum of Science and in the
Department of Anthroplogy at Boston University, mentioned
Prominent Hominid Fossils as containing
"Analysis of individual fossils. Excellent photos."
Anthropology 100: Physical Anthropology - Palomar College
This course has won multiple awards including best online teaching
site in California and makes multiple links to Archive materials.
National Conference on the Teaching of Evolution (NCTE)
October 5 - 8, 2000 University of California,
Berkeley
Hosted by the University of California Museum of
Paleontology (UCMP)
Conference funded by the National Science Foundation.
Resources for Teachers, from
The School of Biological Earth and Environmental
Science
The University of New South Wales, Australia
The One
Planet Education Network (OPEN) is an international
home education service provider that works with affiliates
such as Harvard University, Columbia University, and the
National Park Service. OPEN recommends the Archive in its
science
resources for teachers.
---- Note: The link to the
"Cool Pick Site of the Day" is omitted due to the PG-13
nature of that site.
