August 9, 2013

Iran’s Position on Evolution? Not What You Might Expect.

If you had asked me before yesterday what the official Iranian position on evolution was, I would have shrugged my shoulders and said, “skewed?” As such you can imagine my surprise when I found out that Neil Shubin’s popular book, Your Inner Fish, has been translated into Persian: And here I must admit: I’m more [...]

By Kalliopi Monoyios

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

If you had asked me before yesterday what the official Iranian position on evolution was, I would have shrugged my shoulders and said, "skewed?" As such you can imagine my surprise when I found out that Neil Shubin's popular book, Your Inner Fish, has been translated into Persian:

And here I must admit: I'm more than a little ignorant on the topic of science education in Iran. According to these recent papers on the subject (here and here), Iran's science textbooks are relatively untouched by religion, at least compared to its Muslim neighbors. It would seem that Iranians are getting a fairly accurate explanation of what evolution is and how it works. So perhaps it's not so surprising to see Your Inner Fish in Persian after all.

Further Reading:

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Elise K. Barton, the author of the papers above, was kind enough to point me in the direction of several other researchers studying the state of science education in the Muslim world:

Irtiqa: a blog by Salman Hameed, a professor at Hampshire College, that "tracks and comments on news relevant to the interplay of science & religion - with a focus on scientific debates taking place in the Muslim world."

A forthcoming book by Jorg Matthias Determann, on networks of biology and evolution in Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American