#project steve

It was created in 2003 as a counter-list to the creationist Answers in Genesis organization's "list of scientists that doubt evolution".

To get on the Project Steve list you need to:

Be an accredited scientist

Sign a statement affirming the well-substantiated fact of evolution and common ancestry, and decrying creationism as pseudoscience that should never be taught in schools

Be named some variation of Steve (like Steven, Stephen, Stephanie, Esteban, etc.)

It was named in honor of evolutionary biologist and popular science writer Stephen Jay Gould.

Creationists draw up these lists to try to convince the public that evolution is somehow being rejected by scientists, that it is a "theory in crisis." Not everyone realizes that this claim is unfounded. NCSE has been asked numerous times to compile a list of thousands of scientists affirming the validity of the theory of evolution. Although we easily could have done so, we have resisted. We did not wish to mislead the public into thinking that scientific issues are decided by who has the longer list of scientists! Project Steve pokes fun at this practice and, because "Steves" are only about 1% of scientists, it also makes the point that tens of thousands of scientists support evolution. And it honors the late Stephen Jay Gould, evolutionary biologist, NCSE supporter, and friend. We'd like to think that after Project Steve, we'll have seen the last of bogus "scientists doubting evolution" lists, but it's probably too much to ask. We hope that when such lists are proposed, reporters and other citizens will ask, "How many Steves are on your list!?"

“Xtianity is a mythology in crisis. The Xtian god isn’t real because all the Xtian sects can’t agree on the principles of Xtianity.”

See how that works? Betcha we get consensus on the mechanisms and processes of evolution before you get consensus on Xtianity. Intellectual Dishonesty, thy name is Religion.

There is a site called Dissent from Darwin which acts as a sort of clearing house for academics to express their skepticism over evolution. 

The site itself admits that its signatories hold “doctorates in biological sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, computer science, and related disciplines”, which is slightly disingenuous, as the number of academics who hold qualifications in math and physics vastly outnumber the few who are actually qualified to have a credible opinion on evolution.

It’s a common feature of religious attempts to position themselves as qualified and credible to assume that a degree in something is much the same as a degree in everything. This is so wrong-headed and mendacious that I have no idea how any self-respecting academic could go along with it. Around 800 people have signed the statement so far. 

Project Steve365, SoulPancake Challenge - Week 17

Project Steve365, SoulPancake Challenge - Week 16

Project Steve365, SoulPancake Challenge - Week 13

Project Steve Got 1200 Signatures

NSCE got over 1200 scientists named Steve to sign their statement, but it took them three-and-a-half years.

Project Steve