Intelligent Design network, inc. P.O. Box 14702, Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66285-4702 (913) 268-0852; (913)-268-0852 (fax); IDnet@att.net www.IntelligentDesignnetwork.org

JOINT PRESS RELEASE _ August 15, 2003

Intelligent Design network, inc.
Contact: John H. Calvert, Managing Director    
(913) 268-0852; IDnet@att.net
www.IntelligentDesignnetwork.org 
    and
The MacLaurin Institute
Contact: Robert Osburn, President
612-378-1935; maclaurin@maclaurin.org
www.MacLaurin.org

IDnet and The MacLaurin Institute Announce
FOURTH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON INTELLIGENT DESIGN
November 15, 2003, Willey Hall, University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN. Intelligent Design network and The MacLaurin Institute jointly announced Darwin, Design & Democracy IV, an all day program that explores Intelligent Design, a theory of origins that is causing quite a stir around the country.

Twenty experts in science, philosophy, theology and the law will gather in Willey Hall, on the University of Minnesota campus to respond to a recent pronouncement by a leading science institution that seeks to ban any discussion of Intelligent Design in public schools.
Intelligent design is a scientific disagreement with prevailing naturalistic theories of origin that rule out intelligence as a possible cause of any natural phenomena. Naturalists seek to explain all natural phenomena via only material causes.

Michael Behe, the internationally known biochemist will share the stage with Jeffrey Schwartz, a neuroscientist who is revolutionizing scientific thinking about the relationship between the mind and the brain. Dr. Behe's best selling book Darwin's Black Box is the most significant challenge to Darwin's theory of natural selection since its publication 150 years ago. Dr. Schwartz's book The Mind and the Brain explains why the mind can not be reduced to the material. His talk will explain why the mind and materialism don't mix.
" The Symposium is timely for Minnesotans since we are currently engaged in writing new science standards, which will address this very issue," remarked Bob Osburn, executive director of the MacLaurin Institute, who is also co-hosting the event. The intelligent design issue is a significant debate--and one in which students, teachers and others should be allowed to discuss."

" The line up of speakers will just knock your socks off," said John Calvert, a Managing Director of IDnet. "Ben Wiker, Ph.D. the author of Moral Darwinism: Why We Have Become Hedonists, will explain the history of the debate. Bill Harris, Ph.D., the humorous, internationally recognized research biochemist will explain the scientific nature and utility of design theory. Jed Macosko, Ph.D. and Paul Nelson, Ph.D. will take the audience inside a cell through computer animation and show why more and more scientists are moving into the ID camp. Michael Keas, Ph.D., will showcase a curriculum module for introducing the controversy to students in a scientifically." Calvert, said, "This is just the tip of the iceberg. Twelve other presentations in "break-out" sessions will offer the audience a virtual smorgasboard of views about all sides of that all important question: Where do we come from?" Calvert is a lawyer and geologist who will explore the constitutionality of state suppression of ID theory in one of these sessions.

The all day program is the fourth in a series that is designed to appeal to the public and specifically to students, teachers, school administrators, and parents. The program that starts at 8 am Saturday morning and ends that evening, is interspersed with music, laughs and many opportunities to meet and talk with the 20 speakers. Participants can chat with Dr. Behe and others over a box lunch and each presentation includes Q&A from the audience.

Advance Registrations range from $15 for students to $55 for the entire family.
To learn more and to register go to: http://www.intelligentdesignnetwork.org/june_symposim.htm

Intelligent Design network, inc. is a nonprofit organization that seeks objectivity in origins science. Objectivity results from the use of the scientific method without philosophic or religious assumptions in seeking answers to the question: Where do we come from?  We believe objectivity will lead not only to good science, but also to constitutional neutrality in this subjective, historical science that unavoidably impacts religion.  We promote the scientific evidence of intelligent design because proper consideration of that evidence is necessary to achieve not only scientific objectivity but also constitutional neutrality.

The MacLaurin Institute is a Christian study center based on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The Institute works to enhance dialogue between religion and academia.
Intelligent Design is a scientific disagreement with the claim of evolutionary theory that natural phenomena are not designed. ID claims that natural laws and chance alone are not adequate to explain all natural phenomena. Evidence that is empirically detectable in nature suggests that design is the best current explanation for a variety of natural systems, particularly irreducibly complex living systems. Intelligent Design is an intellectual movement that includes a scientific research program for investigating intelligent causes and that challenges naturalistic explanations of origins which currently drive science education and research.