Not so long ago an eminent scientist and successful politician advised me that, when speaking, it is vital to leave your audience with a mental picture that sums up your entire lecture. This is what I attempted to do in the July 28 legislative briefing held at the US Capitol building sponsored by Congressman Louie Gohmert and the Traditional Values Coalition. See what you think:

Imagine a tree of science. The bottom of the trunk represents elementary school, the middle level high school, the top level before the branches, college. The branches are analogous to the science professions: medicine, industry, teaching, etc. The leaves are the benefits for the public. It's a great tree-one people depend upon for their very lives. Now imagine that the tree contracts a fungal infection. The infection starts in the root system, works its way up the tree, and eventually the leaves turn brown and fall off and the tree dies. In our illustration, infections can also spread from branch to branch. This is what is happening in science. There is an infection called lack of scientific integrity-it starts at the bottom of the tree and works its way all over until the tree that we all depend on is severely compromised.

So what is scientific integrity? We know that basic integrity requires consistency, honesty, completeness, wholeness. Therefore, I would suggest that, to have scientific integrity, we must be willing to examine the whole truth about controversial subjects, encourage students do their own original work -all of it, and we need to persuade pharmaceutical companies to publish the whole story about their medications, allow scientists to consider the whole picture and follow evidence where it leads even if it deviates from consensus views-when you do all this, you get a truly comprehensive or whole understanding of a scientific idea, theory, or product. But this is not happening in many areas of science today. And the result is that our health, prosperity, and intellectual prowess as a nation are in jeopardy. If you like, the leaves of the tree of science are at risk of falling off. Addressing this issue is the purpose of AITSE...

If you are in Austin, TX from October 26-28, you may want to check out this intriguing conference on faith and science sponsored by Hill Country Institute. Speakers include Andy Crouch, Alister McGrath, Steven Meyer, Hugh Ross, Darrel Falk and others--Christians from across most of the spectrum of faith and science. Should prove interesting.

Why Should Christians Care About Scientific Integrity? Most of us believe we live in a free country - but do we really? In this 20-­‐minute presentation, Dr. Caroline Crocker, immunopharmacologist and Christian, briefly surveys the critical need for scientific integrity at all levels of our educational system, in medicine, and in industry. Based on her own experience and research, she mentions how science has been taken hostage by politics, finance, and religion and shows that this is damaging the health, prosperity and faith of church members. Dr. Crocker ends by showing why and how we can restore integrity back to science by ensuring that our people are free to think.

Free to Think--or Not? This informative talk about the relationship between academic freedom and our health, economic success and religious views as a nation is suited for all audiences.

Evolution and Intelligent Design: What's the Fuss? Have you ever wondered why people get so angry about evolution, creation, intelligent design, etc.? In this fascinating presentation, the reason for the antagonism is explored and questions are asked.

What You Shouldn't Ever Say--If You Want a Job! If you wondered what Dr. Crocker taught causing her to lose her job at GMU, this is the presentation you want! An information-packed lecture that will leave you wanting more.

The Evolution and Extinction of a Teacher Illustrated with highly-entertaining cartoons by Ayden Lopez, this presentation shows how Dr. Crocker lost her job, legal representation, and career. Since lack of scientific integrity affects us all, this talk is a must for anyone who is interested in academic freedom.

The page for booking a presentation is not yet complete on the AITSE website, so please click below, click on "contact", and fill out the form.

How does the public view science, scientific statements, and scientific experts versus what can they rightly expect? Scientists are considered the other provider of candid truth... The basis of public trust in science comes from the ideology of science itself. The activities of science, as well as the scientist, are considered to be objective, rational, and thereby embodying a virtuous means of finding truth (Jones 2001).

Obviously, this high view of science requires an equally high standard of scientific integrity--something AITSE and Dr. Jones are both working towards. I met Dr. Nancy Jones while attending the American Scientific Affiliation meeting in Washington DC--and am very glad that she is in place at National Institutes of Health!

On August 23 a federal judge blocked the use of federal funds to destroy human embryos by using them as a source for stem cells. On August 31 the Obama administration asked him to reconsider--not whether embryonic stem cell research should be allowed, but whether American tax payers should pay for it. Since I am running out of time for this newsletter, I'll leave you to read about it yourself.

Sometimes a little controversy helps. Dr. Caroline Crocker has set one rolling that probably will not stop with the publication of her book. Having studied biology on the undergraduate level, I can only say that Dr. Crocker is one classy teacher: knows her field, is a proven scientist, and wants to reach for all she can to make her students learn. She does not just teach, she cares. Her help to students with heart-wrenching life stories has won her long term admiration and friendship. Any Ph.D. who is so successful at developing the uninitiated into competent scholars of the complexities of biology is what most colleges and universities crave.

It is unfortunate that George Mason University gave Dr. Crocker the boot. They lost one of their best professors. Caroline Crocker is obviously a person who challenges others to think. That brought her to grief in the university (and she has since not been able to find another faculty position elsewhere). But don't expect her to stop now that she is outside of it.

"Free to Think" is the stimulating story of a highly motivated college prof who ran into trouble through a little naivete. She raised questions about Darwinian evolution in some of her lectures. The university's loss is our gain. We get to see from the inside how sometimes the hallowed halls of the pursuit of ideas become machines of dogma. We also get to know what it is like to run afoul of one's superiors. We get treated to humor in tense situations: like meeting the Ebenezer Scrooge of the academic world in the grievance committee. He declares her cartoons are degrading for a university lecture.

You will not find a bitter vent in this book. It presents instead, the fascinating story of being the center of controversy on campus. We learn how the lady thinks, and how almost irresistibly she gets others to think as well. When you finish, you will probably say with me, "Keep at it, Dr. Crocker."

Publicity Coordinator-- Locate and work with event coordinators to develop speaking engagements, radio and TV appearances. - Help write press releases as needed - Help to create publicity media and marketing collateral as needed

Social Media Guru--Develop, maintain, and test the AITSE website as needed - Develop and publish videos online as needed - Assist in the development and deployment of the AITSE newletter - Assist in development of Twitter/Facebook/other social networking

Grant Writer--Identify possible funding sources -Contact foundations, corporations, donors in an appropriate manner/ maintain relationships -Write grants (need previous experience)

If you are willing and able to help in these ways, please let me know!