Now for my position.....I haven't been able to read all the e-mails (so many) but here it is anyway First, to Don Colton - I respectivefully disagree with your comments about Galileo. "The Church" of Galileo's time was all-powerful and it charged him with heresy and called him before the Inquisition to answer the charges. He was tried and convicted of hersesy for teaching that the Earth revolved around the sun. In a major change of policy, he was not burned at the stake. He was given the "option" to recant his teachings (which he did) and was placed under house arrest for the remainder of his life (10 years) in which he was unable to travel, unable to teach or have friends visit. He was only allowed interaction with his immediate family members. In 1993 (approximately) "The Church" was reviewing its records and noted that Galileo's name was still on the books as a heretic. They have now removed his name from the list with an apology (350 years later). It was not the scientific community that stood against Galileo, it was "The Church." As to Kim Hyatt and the bruhahah he has created (well it got me to sign on didn't it?) Legislators often pose a possible "bill" to gage the citizenry reaction. While you may have just heard of it, this was first reported by the SL Tribune in June. The Letters to the Editor in the Tribune were numerous and mostly against the proposal and went on for weeks. (refreshing to see) Just because the reaction was negative, doesn't mean that Chris Buttars and Gayle Razicka will back down. I refrained from submitting my own letter to the editor to the effect of "bring it on bozos," with what may be naive expectations that Utah, in general, isn't that narrow minded. If they do present a bill, there will be public hearings on it and I anticipate attending and speaking at the hearing to express my displeasure with such a proposal and it appears you will be there as well. I am sure many more from universities and educators would also speak, but MANY must respond. While this mixture of science and religion has reared it's ugly head in Utah, this state is by no means unique and is, if it were really possible, behind the times. Some states have already had to deal with the Creation/intelligent design versus evolution problem and they are stumbling because of it. What I see is a far more disturbing trend - the wholesale rejection of science, scientific research and scientific inquiry on religious grounds. That has been tried, it was called the Dark Ages and, apparently, there are many who want to return to it. It is far more important and necessary, that "science minded" types speak out loudly and often to turn the situation around. My very personal view is that God (intelligent design) created the world on which I reside. It is glorious in its variety and balance. However, my view differs from pure creationism in that it took 4.5 billion years to do so and God used his entire range of "scientific" understanding to do it. If a person were to read Genesis with a fairly good understanding of evolution, they would be quite surprised to see how well evolution and Genesis compliment one another. It is only the time frame that is at issue. Moses was a prophet and honorable God-fearing man. Had God told Moses that he took trillions and trillions of hyrdogen atoms ..... Moses would not have understood. God gave him an explanation that he could understand. Moses dutifully reported it as accurately as possible. It is a simple explanation for a simple man (note, I did not say simpleton, just simple - as in simplier times) More importantly, - that is my personal belief. My personal belief and anyone else's personal beliefs do not belong in the science classroom. Let's teach facts, as best we know them, and not personal beliefs. Well, now to compose my response to the Pluto, Sedna, "Xena" thing. (It will have to wait a while, I do work for a living).